Fiorentina vs Hellas Verona: Serie A 2021-2022

After that unspeakably cruel result against Juventus, perhaps we should’ve predicted a bit of an emotional hangover from Fiorentina when they took on Hellas Verona, especially since the gemellaggio between the two sets of fans meant that the atmosphere was more jovial and festive than intense.

But the Viola’s first half performance was truly woeful. The Scaligeri pressed high and disrupted everything that their hosts tried to do, constantly forcing them to boot it up the field and cede possession. Despite a lovely Krzysztof Piątek goal against the run of play, it was one-way traffic, with the visitors looking particularly threatening against an anxious Lorenzo Venuti. While Gianluca Caprari’s penalty equalized the scores, Giovanni Simeone and Kevin Lasagna both should’ve added to the tally. When the triple blast sounded, it was clear that Fiorentina needed a slap in the face, as they’d built nothing and been very lucky in defense.

Vincenzo Italiano clearly agreed, making a triple change at the half, and whatever he’d said to the players certainly garnered a response. The Viola turned it around, dominating play and creating a hatful of chances—3 of which were missed, from close range, by Lucas Torreira of all people—and shutting down the Mastini attack. The breakthrough never arrived, however, and a 1-1 draw felt like a fair reflection of the 90 minutes, even though the final 45 had been all Fiorentina.

Here’s all our usual coverage for this. Happy reading.