Viola Nation - Fiorentina vs Inter Milan: Serie A 2018-2019A Fiorentina blog for Viola fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50059/viola-fav.png2019-02-25T18:59:46+01:00http://www.violanation.com/rss/stream/179995562019-02-25T18:59:46+01:002019-02-25T18:59:46+01:00Fiorentina 3-3 Inter Milan: Recap and player ratings
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<img alt="ACF Fiorentina v FC Internazionale - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/19R18jSwXDRGQ_TGtzy9SBk03MU=/0x0:2996x1997/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63119764/1127184063.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>It’s all just a blur. | Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Even a day later, none of this makes any sense.</p> <h2 id="OYGiOL">Pre-match</h2>
<p id="zzS3d4"><span>Stefano Pioli</span> was dealt a major blow as Nikola Milenković wound up unavailable with a bout of flu; <span>Federico Ceccherini</span> and Vincent Laurini thus comprised the right side of the defense. Giovanni Simeone drew the start at striker, with <span>Luis Muriel</span> on the bench in an attempt to save his legs for an important midweek clash against <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/atalanta">Atalanta</a>. </p>
<p id="tLV8l6">For <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a>, young Dalbert started at leftback with former Viola man Matías Vecino in central midfield. Due to the ongoing word-slinging, <span>Mauro Icardi</span> wasn’t called up, leaving Lautaro Martínez as the only option Luciano Spalletti had at striker with Keita Baldé injured.</p>
<p id="gWHQVx">On a chilly, clear windy day, the Stadio Artemio Franchi was packed and rocking. The tifosi (including VN regular Hesanka and Indonesian superfan Eric Hartanto) were clearly up to the task, drowning out the visiting support and singing their love for the hosts for well over 90 minutes.</p>
<h2 id="ofWeyO">First half</h2>
<p id="ZGdfvs"><a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a> scored almost direct from kickoff: the ball came back to Ceccherini, who launched it over the Inter backline. Federico Chiesa outraced the entire Biscione defense to the ball down the right wing. Samir Handanović came way off his line and Fede simply squared the ball to an onrushing Giovanni Simeone, who took a touch goalwards. The ball deflected off Stefan de Vrij and into the back of the net with 16 seconds showing on the clock. While it would eventually be marked an own goal, it was still a stunning start to the match.</p>
<p id="jqdNi2">The Viola didn’t have long to enjoy their superiority, though, as Inter equalized 5 minutes later. Failure to clear a corner left the ball with <span>Radja Nainggolan</span> outside the area, and the Belgian lobbed it back into the area, where Vecino (precisely even with the last man) volleyed it past Alban Lafont, who got both hands to it but still couldn’t palm it away. The Uruguayan declined to celebrate in deference to his former employer, but the rest of the team was thrilled.</p>
<p id="51WUwd">Fiorentina resumed pressing, though, and seemed the more dangerous team. Vitor Hugo met a corner at 10’ but couldn’t keep it on frame. 6 minutes later, Simeone produced a brilliant turn outside the area and chipped the ball over the defense for Federico Chiesa, who was tripped up and hit the ground. The ball dropped on top of him, leading the Inter defense to scream for a handball, but <span>Marco Benassi</span> nearly pounced, and only a desperate Milan Škriniar block kept him from shooting. It was all the hosts, though, as their brilliant pressing in midfield locked the visitors into their own half with no escape. While the attackers—particularly Chiesa, Simeone, and Biraghi—created a succession of half chances, there wasn’t a real opportunity until just before the half hour, when Gerson led a 3-v-2 break forward with the ball. The defense neglected to close him down at all and he hit a powerful try with his left that skidded off target from the top of the box, even though Simeone was all alone to his right and begging for the pass.</p>
<p id="nBDnXQ">At 36’, Lafont made a sharp save as Marcelo Brozović overhit a free kick from the wing that nearly drifted under the bar, forcing the young Frenchman to smartly palm over. 4 minutes later, though, Inter took the lead against the run of play: Matteo Politano picked up the ball on the right wing and cut inside and past Jordan Veretout, who should have known that the winger would cut in, then unleashed a bullet that nestled inside the far post. Lafont again got a touch, but seemed slow to react, perhaps because Gerson blocked his view. Gerson had another chance at 43’ but couldn’t keep his volley down after a clever chip from Chiesa, but it was Ivan Perišić who came closest after Ceccherini made a mistake and let Martínez slide the Croatian in, but his shot was just off frame when 1-v-1 with Lafont. Fede had another try with a curler from outside the area off a clever free kick routine, but the half ended with the Nerazzurri leading 1-2 despite being outplayed for most of the first half.</p>
<h2 id="66XOcV">Second half</h2>
<p id="JeUXPT">Inter won a soft free kick on the wing 2 minutes after the restart, but Fiorentina cleared it and went roaring upfield before referee Rosario Abisso brought it back to check VAR for an incident in the area. Sure enough, he awarded a penalty that surprised even the Inter players, as <span>Edimilson Fernandes</span> struck the ball with his hand in the area. In fairness, it had deflected off someone just before it hit him and he was in the air and being jostled from behind, hence his arms coming up, but Abisso went ahead and gave the spot kick, which Perišić converted. Inter had a commanding 1-3 lead, despite the howls of fury from the stands.</p>
<p id="PjclXr">The game rather slowed down for the next 10ish minutes, but the introduction of Muriel (who entered along with Marko Pjaca) turned things around. At the hour mark, Chiesa and Veretout combined to cross for the Colombian, who mistimed his shot and caught Danilo d’Ambrosio. The ball skipped out to <span>Cristiano Biraghi</span>, who smashed a first time shot that nearly ripped the net from the posts. Abisso, however, brought it back to VAR again, and eventually ruled the goal out due to Muriel catching d’Ambrosio in the buildup; the Franchi responded with jeers, whistles, and venom, and it’s not hard to see why.</p>
<p id="5dSMMT">The players answered by getting chippier and chippier, with a number of hard fouls and harsh words. Chiesa, meanwhile, tried a 40-yard lob but couldn’t get it anywhere near the goal at 68’, but did better 4 minutes later when his pop from distance took a big deflection off de Vrij and nearly rolled in at the far post past a scrambling Handanović’s far post. 2 minutes after that, though, the Slovenian goalkeeper was left helpless as Muriel hit a free kick from over 30 yards out as perfectly as a free kick can possibly be hit: with power, swerve, and dip, and into the very top corner. It was perhaps the best goal Fiorentina have scored this year, and it brought them back to 2-3 to set up a very tense 15 minutes.</p>
<p id="Mb0cAA">A minute later, Vecino nearly headed home his second as the defense switched off after kickoff, but he couldn’t get it anywhere but straight at Lafont. Fiorentina, fueled by a furious Franchi, pushed forward and came close a few times in the closing minutes, including a free kick that nearly dropped for Fernandes before de Vrij poked it out for a corner and, more importantly, a Chiesa bomb from the left that whistled a whisker wide of the back post (there were 4 men in the box, so a cross may have been wiser), but there was drama at the other end too: Vitor Hugo stonewalled Martínez in the box and the striker spent the next several minutes rolling around holding his face, leading Lafont to walk over and yank him to his feet. The goalie was carded for his frustration, but the striker may have got away with one too, as he batted at Alban’s face.</p>
<p id="RxLsSx">Abisso meted out a whopping 7 minutes of stoppage time, and Inter nearly doubled their lead at the beginning of it as Bryan Dabo and Ceccherini miscommunicated, allowing <span>Borja Valero</span> to steal in and lay it through for Perišić, but Cecche recovered well enough to block the Croatian’s shot. At the 96 minute mark, though, all hell broke loose: Chiesa dinked a ball into the area that hit d’Ambrosio’s chest and maybe took the slightest of touches off the defender’s arm. Abisso pointed to the spot, but then went to VAR. Replays made it clear that no PK should have been give: d’Ambrosio’s arms were in, he was too close to react to the ball, and it was clearly accidental. Nevertheless, Abisso stuck with his original decision after review, and an ice-cold Veretout slotted the penalty home in the 100th minute to equalize. Scenes ensued.</p>
<h2 id="j5bEaT">Full time</h2>
<p id="3KWTZk">Inter Milan will be rightfully angry about the late penalty, but they certainly got lucky twice previously with VAR checks, so it feels more or less balanced out in the end (and let’s not forget the phantom handball called on Vitor Hugo in the away fixture that gave Inter a nothingburger penalty). That said, this match highlighted how uneven the use of VAR has been this year, and the shambolic nature of that application is something that Serie A needs to fix right now. The Viola have been at the center of various controversies involving the replay system this year: this, SPAL last week, Inter at the San Siro, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/chievo-verona">Chievo Verona</a> getting bilked last month, the clear Chiesa dive against Atalanta, and a questionable penalty against <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com/">AS Roma</a>. That’s a full quarter of Fiorentina’s matches that have featured misuse or simply wrong decisions based on VAR.</p>
<p id="0EZy9K">Returning to the action on the pitch, let’s give Stefano Pioli full credit. The first half was brilliant: his decision to push Vitor Hugo up the pitch in possession, forcing Martínez to mark the Brazilian and leave Ceccherini completely free and very deep as a safe passing option, and the ex-<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/livorno">Livorno</a> man was brilliant in passing the ball through the lines to the midfielders. The midfielders and forwards pressed magnificently and created chances; the fact that his players couldn’t turn a single shot on frame from open play isn’t entirely on him, and neither is the failure to step up from the back and let Vecino’s header in, as you have to think that with Germán Pezzella marshaling the backline would have prevented it. All in all, a point feels like a fair result on the balance of play, even if it drops the team to 9th.</p>
<h2 id="f6UVFo">Player grades</h2>
<p id="AWFTRP"><strong>Lafont</strong>: 5—Made a good stop or two, but you have to think he was a bit slow to react on both goals. The fact that he got a hand to each of the first two is a bit frustrating as well. On the plus side, he made good decisions, came off his line when appropriate, and kept his distribution safe and occasionally penetrative.</p>
<p id="UuLBNG"><strong>Laurini</strong>: 6.5—Stuck with Perišić very well and didn’t let the in-form winger get anything on his watch, and also nullified Dalbert when the fullback got forward. Also added a bit going forward, overlapping and combining cleverly with Chiesa a few times. A rather limited player, but very good when given a simple brief.</p>
<p id="O27i67"><strong>Ceccherini</strong>: 6.5—Was brilliant in the first half, controlling the game with his excellent passing. Made a couple of slips at the back throughout, but showed surprisingly good pace to recover for the most time. He’s really growing into a solid starter at this level and seems more than capable as a fill-in for Pezze.</p>
<p id="jxlFp4"><strong>Vitor Hugo</strong>: 7.5—Ate Lautaro Martínez’ lunch for the entire 90 (100?) minutes, rarely allowing the young striker a sniff of the ball. Added physicality and grit to the backline and did well to get up the pitch and challenge when the midfield let someone through. Still had one of his trademark skewed clearances, but was very good.</p>
<p id="WV1O20"><strong>Biraghi</strong>: 7.5—Clearly had an agenda against his former team and was brilliant throughout, getting forward tirelessly on the overlap and putting in a succession of excellent crosses. Mostly did well against Politano on the back foot as well, although he was pinned by d’Ambrosio for the goal, leaving Veretout stranded against a quicker opponent.</p>
<p id="VOoUai"><strong>Benassi</strong>: 5.5—Had a couple of nice combinations with Chiesa and kept his passing pretty sharp, but was a liability at the back and didn’t provide much of a goal threat against the team he grew up with. Felt like a very Marco game, though, in that you kept waiting for him to pop up with a weird goal.</p>
<p id="F5mtHw"><strong>Veretout</strong>: 6—Let Politano cut inside way too easily, given how left-footed the winger is, but was quite good besides that. Mostly kept Nainggolan very quiet and sparked the attack nicely. Had a lot of trouble with his set piece delivery, though, failing to get the ball past the first man on a number of corners, but the stiff breeze may have been partly responsible.</p>
<p id="cRAFr7"><strong>Fernandes</strong>: 5—While the penalty probably wasn’t entirely his fault, given the push in the back he took, he still produced his usual stream of misplaced passes and poorly considered attempts to dribble. On the plus side, he pressured Vecino in particular very well and helped control the midfield for long stretches.</p>
<p id="oSgey8"><strong>Chiesa</strong>: 8—As is par for the course at this point, he was the game’s outstanding player. Skipped past challenges at will, bamboozled defenders with his pace, and brought his teammates into the game brilliantly. He’s going to learn how to keep those shots that whistle just wide or over on frame some time soon, and he’s going to be terrifying.</p>
<p id="opNnUp"><strong>Simeone</strong>: 7—Played with some fire, furiously charging forward and pressuring a nervous defense like his pants were on fire. Showed more skill on the ball than we’re used to seeing and contributed a bit to the buildup at times, which shows growth. Unlucky that the opener was ruled an own goal, but may be starting to round back into form.</p>
<p id="Nzg8Nj"><strong>Gerson</strong>: 5—Wasn’t bad, exactly, but it felt like none of his efforts quite came off, even when they were very close. Really should have laid that shot off to Cholito, but had a bunch of nearly moments. On another day, at least one positive would have risen from all those almosts. He’ll be fine.</p>
<p id="Tjxinr"><strong>Muriel</strong>: 7.5—Oh my god that goal. I guess he only scores Sportscenter Top 10 efforts. Holy smokes, y'all.</p>
<p id="RmUFly"><strong>Pjaca</strong>: 4—Invisible. Maybe he’s wearing number 10 because that’s how many men it feels like are on the pitch when he’s out there. Starting to feel more and more like it’s just not happening for him this year.</p>
<p id="ICgM3h"><strong>Dabo</strong>: 5—Shoehorned into an unfamiliar rightback role in relief of Laurini, he offered some typically muscular bursts forward but almost threw everything away with a miscommunication at the back in stoppage time before the penalty.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2019/2/25/18239751/fiorentina-3-3-inter-milan-match-recap-player-grades-ratings-penalty-referee-varThe Tito2019-02-24T23:03:40+01:002019-02-24T23:03:40+01:00Fiorentina 3-3 Inter Milan: Highlights
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<img alt="ACF Fiorentina v FC Internazionale - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I4iBULVtbDqB_6Pq6raemIZQ7bA=/0x0:2996x1997/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63114405/1127120737.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>What just happened?</p> <h2 id="JsocDa">Pre-match</h2>
<p id="tAnf2n">Both Federico Ceccherini and Vincent Laurini started at the back for <a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a> as Nikola Milenković dealt with a bad case of the flu. Up top, <span>Stefano Pioli</span> chose Giovanni Simeone over <span>Luis Muriel</span>.</p>
<p id="yPJ1jO">Luciano Spalletti brought out more or less his expected XI with Matías Vecino in midfield and <span>Borja Valero</span> on the bench. Due to <span>Mauro Icardi</span>’s ongoing feud with <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a>, Lautaro Martínez started at striker again.</p>
<h2 id="Jmqw8A">First half</h2>
<p id="vhdwMV">The first goal came after just 16 seconds. Ceccherini hammered a long ball over the top of the defense and Federico Chiesa outran everyone to it. Seeing Samir Handanović out in no man’s land, Fede squared it to Giovanni Simeone. The Argentine’s shot took a touch off Stevan de Vrij and nestled into the back of the net; while Cholito originally claimed it, the scorers would eventually mark it as an own goal.</p>
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<p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Simeone marca aos 17 segundos de jogo, abrindo o placar para a Fiorentina.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FiorentinaInter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FiorentinaInter</a> <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/g0ZAaRqYXs">pic.twitter.com/g0ZAaRqYXs</a></p>— Campeonato Italiano (@CampeonatoItal1) <a href="https://twitter.com/CampeonatoItal1/status/1099756266942066688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="7U7aQU">5 minutes later, it was, of course, Vecino who equalized. After the Viola failed to clear a corner, <span>Radja Nainggolan</span> swept it back into the box, where the Uruguayan pounced, volleying past Alban Lafont, who got two hands to the ball but couldn’t keep it out. It was very tight with regards to offsides, but after several minutes to check, the referee allowed it.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fiorentina 1-1 Inter (VECINO) A great response to that shocking start. <a href="https://t.co/l5uyFW9laF">pic.twitter.com/l5uyFW9laF</a></p>— InterYaSkrinYa (@InterYaSkrinYa) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterYaSkrinYa/status/1099755839206887424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="m5C0OM">Chiesa got some measure of revenge at 26’ with this outrageous piece of skill to nutmeg Vecino and leave him in the land of dry whispers.</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://t.co/5CLUCTcmoE">pic.twitter.com/5CLUCTcmoE</a></p>— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/PremierSportsTV/status/1099760911471001601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="JML6f5">Inter got the last laugh of the half, though, as Matteo Politano cut inside from the left past Jordan Veretout (who should have known that the Italian lite version of Arjen Robben would do precisely that) and uncorked a belter. Lafont again got a fingertip to it and was a bit slow to react, although Gerson may have blocked his view of the incoming shot.</p>
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<p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Politano’nun güzel golüü ve ilk yarı sonucu Fiorentina 1-2 Inter <a href="https://t.co/JQF8ssJvtS">pic.twitter.com/JQF8ssJvtS</a></p>— Serie A Turkey (@SerieA_Turkiye) <a href="https://twitter.com/SerieA_Turkiye/status/1099768430851444740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<h2 id="U7kVkr">Second half</h2>
<p id="wPQpNp">At 52’, Edimilson Fernandes caught an Inter free kick with his arm in the area. Despite the fact that he was jumping, the ball took a deflection to get to him, and that he was clearly being jostled, Rosario Abisso called for the spot kick (after waiting 5 minutes and blowing the whistle as Chiesa broke forward on the counter). Ivan Perišić duly slotted it past Lafont.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">VAR and Perisic Goal.<br><br>Fiorentina 1-3 Inter<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/Ws2c317Rid">pic.twitter.com/Ws2c317Rid</a></p>— FN MEDIA (@FNMEDIA_) <a href="https://twitter.com/FNMEDIA_/status/1099773666009669632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="9kmDGr">At the hour mark, Chiesa swung a cross into substitute Luis Muriel in the area, who miskicked the ball and caught Danilo d’Ambrosio. The ball itself, however, squirted back out to <span>Cristiano Biraghi</span>, and the fullback’s volley from the edge of the area was a dang missile that nearly ripped the back of the net off. However, Abisso decided to rule the goal out due to Muriel’s clash with d’Ambrosio right before, much to the disgust of the home fans.</p>
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<p lang="it" dir="ltr">Biraghi C. CORRECTION Goal HD - Fiorentina 2-3 Inter 24.02.2019<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SofaScore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SofaScore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INT</a><br> <a href="https://t.co/FZ4sioE6u4">https://t.co/FZ4sioE6u4</a></p>— FootballUA2019 (@FootballUA2019) <a href="https://twitter.com/FootballUA2019/status/1099774685586378753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="UlB1IA">VAR couldn’t do anything to remove Muriel’s 74th minute free kick, though. The Colombian hit the ball as perfectly as you’ll ever see in your lifetime: pace, power, dip, and a kiss off the underside of the bar. Not often is a goalkeeper of Handanović’s quality helpless against a shot from 30+ yards out, but he didn’t stand a chance.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Luis Muriel scores this of a free kick for Fiorentina. Good luck trying to save this one!!<br><br>Fiorentina 2-3 Inter Milan <a href="https://t.co/ugWkolnY7p">pic.twitter.com/ugWkolnY7p</a></p>— Parceros United (@ParcerosUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParcerosUnited/status/1099779422754930688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<p id="UAbUdJ">Deep into the 7 minutes of stoppage time, Chiesa dinked a cross from the left into Danilo d’Ambrosio. At first blush, it looked harmless enough. Abisso, however, pointed to the spot immediately, and even after consulting VAR kept the penalty on. The decision was harsh, in fairness: the ball barely touched the Inter man’s arm after hitting his chest and he was too close to move out of the way, but if felt like a makeup call for the Biraghi goal that had been disallowed (or maybe the penalty for a similarly nothingburger handball on Vitor Hugo last time these teams met). Jordan Veretout stepped up and kept his 100% record from the spot intact, tying the match at 3-3.</p>
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<p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Jordan Veretout Goal Fiorentina 3-3 Inter 24.02.2019 <a href="https://t.co/KEQDWq6Flo">https://t.co/KEQDWq6Flo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SofaScore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SofaScore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INT</a></p>— socertwets (@LoveFotball4) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoveFotball4/status/1099786315896365056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a>
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<h2 id="rSFkbU">Full time</h2>
<p id="aqBjaj"><strong>Goals</strong>: de Vrij OG 1’, Vecino 6’ (ass. Nainggolan), Politano 40’ (ass. d’Ambrosio), Perišić pen. 52’, Muriel 74’, Veretout pen. 90’+10</p>
<p id="dNgDsm"><strong>Cards</strong>: Nainggolan 57’, Škriniar 64’, Politano 71’, Lafont 87’, Brozović 89’</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2019/2/24/18238682/fiorentina-3-3-inter-milan-highlights-goals-vecino-politano-perisic-muriel-veretout-penalty-varThe Tito2019-02-24T19:28:58+01:002019-02-24T19:28:58+01:00Fiorentina vs Inter Milan: Lineups and how to watch
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<img alt="ACF Fiorentina v SSC Napoli - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_Peukbb5P0XOCa8XCBlMYCxBE5g=/4x0:3000x1997/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63113313/1096674826.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Going to need a lot from this man. | Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Join us in the comments for what will be in no way an anxious, frightened match.</p> <h2 id="W2CpYM">Late news</h2>
<p id="4nb2PG">Nikola Milenković has caught the flu, leaving Fiorentina manager <span>Stefano Pioli</span> with an even less familiar defense as <span>Federico Ceccherini</span> steps in. As expected, <span>Luis Muriel</span> will start from the bench with Giovanni Simeone resuming his starting role.</p>
<p id="UyecVQ">Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti has picked ex-Viola midfielder Matías Vecino, although he’s left <span>Borja Valero</span> on the bench. Dalbert will start at leftback ahead of <span>Kwadwo Asamoah</span>, while Matteo Politano gets the nod over <span>Antonio Candreva</span>.</p>
<p id="y7bIs5">Also keep an eye out for Viola Nation member Hesanka, who’s at the Artemio Franchi for this one, sitting in the Maratona stands.</p>
<h2 id="d4uUBq">Lineups</h2>
<p id="oBjQ2c"><a href="https://www.violanation.com/"><strong>Fiorentina</strong></a> (4-3-3): Lafont; Laurini, Ceccherini, Vitor Hugo, Biraghi; Benassi, Veretout, Fernandes; Chiesa, Simeone, Gerson</p>
<p id="lwqF6B"><a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/"><strong>Inter Milan</strong></a> (4-2-3-1): Handanović; d’Ambrosio, Skriniar, de Vrij, Dalbert; Vecino, Brozović; Politano, Nainggolan, Perišić; Martínez</p>
<h2 id="2l5tpf">How to watch</h2>
<p id="3UAzDF"><strong>TV</strong>: Check RAI, BeIn, or Serie A Pass if you have them. Full international television listings are <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3072114/fiorentina-vs-internazionale/">here</a>.</p>
<p id="DOlyvj"><strong>Online</strong>: <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3072114/fiorentina-vs-internazionale/">Here</a> is your list of safe, reliable, and legal streams. Requests for and links to illegal streams in the comments will be deleted, and anyone who posts them <a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/splat-nicksplat-nickelodeon-l4EpboC4Mdpvk0oqQ">gets shrimped</a>. If you’re the Twitter type, give us a follow; we’ll be posting live updates/emotional breakdowns there. Otherwise, keep it here in the comments for conversation and commiseration with the best damn sports community on the internet.</p>
<p id="qUNsHh"><strong>Forza Viola!</strong></p>
https://www.violanation.com/2019/2/24/18238592/fiorentina-inter-milan-serie-a-official-lineup-formation-watch-online-stream-match-threadThe Tito2019-02-23T11:30:00+01:002019-02-23T11:30:00+01:00Lampredotto with the enemy: Serpents of Madonnina’s Will Beckman shoots us straight
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<img alt="Italy Walk Around And Press Conference" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lPMStqf9iVrD6FZtkzmV6sqAh2g=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63099898/1027754782.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Handsome boys. | Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>One of the leading lights at our sister site has plenty of insight ahead of a critical match for both teams.</p> <p id="JO8wug">Keeping track of pazza Inter requires more bandwidth than I (or most people) can spare. That’s why we once again turned to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Will_Beckman/">Will Beckman</a> of our sister site <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Serpents of the Madonnina</a> to give us an idea of what to expect against the Nerazzurri on Sunday, and he delivered the goods.</p>
<p id="z27JaM"><strong>Viola Nation</strong>: Given the tenuous hold on third as Milan comes charging in a few weeks ahead of the derby, combined with the demands of the Europa League, how focused is this team on little old <a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a>? Heck, given the Mauro Icardi-pocalypse, how focused is the team on anything?</p>
<p id="TLfqgb"><strong>Will Beckman</strong>: I’d like to think this team will be very focused on Sunday’s match against Fiorentina, and I do think there’s reason to believe Inter will put in a strong performance.</p>
<p id="fOITIp">The curious thing about the Icardi-pocalypse – or Keeping Up with the Icardashians, as a friend of mine recently christened it – is that it seems to have galvanised the team rather than disrupting it, sharpening its focus as opposed to weakening it.</p>
<p id="iktCNF">Nobody knew what kind of reaction this decision from Inter would produce and I think we’ve all been fairly pleasantly surprised at how positive the response has been. We’ve played three games since Icardi was stripped of the captaincy and we’ve won all three with an aggregate score of 7-1.</p>
<p id="45pVBf">Milan Skriniar made a very pointed comment after the Europa League victory over Rapid Vienna in midweek, telling reporters Inter are ‘more united’ now than they were a few weeks ago. This all but confirms the rumours that Icardi had fallen out with his teammates and was starting to become a problem for some players. Now he’s been ‘dethroned’, as it were, several players appear to have stepped up their game again.</p>
<p id="5ZjAP1">With that in mind, I’m strangely optimistic for Sunday’s match. I certainly don’t think Inter will underestimate Fiorentina, because they’re coached by a man who has always had a soft spot for the Viola and knows full well what kind of problems they can pose. The result could go either way, but I’m confident Inter will put in the right kind of performance.</p>
<p id="cGQuiL"><strong>VN</strong>: With the tolls of fighting on two fronts starting to look like they could tell soon, is Luciano Spalletti going to rotate the squad? Seems like he may want to save Lautaro Martínez especially with the current dearth of other strikers.</p>
<p id="EFqhxf"><strong>WB</strong>: As much as I’m sure Spalletti would like to rotate his squad over the next few weeks, he doesn’t have much scope to do it. Inter’s squad isn’t the deepest [ed. note: lol for viola fans] and it could lead to them running out of steam further along the line, because a lot of players are going to be playing three times a week from now until whenever we’re eliminated from the Europa League.</p>
<p id="OIOknt">Lautaro Martinez is the perfect example of this: with Icardi currently out of the frame and Keita Balde still yet to return from injury he’s Inter’s only available forward, which means Spalletti has no option but to pick him on Sunday. We’re just lucky he didn’t pick up a booking against <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/sampdoria">Sampdoria</a> last week, because then he’d have been suspended for this match and we really would have been in a spot of bother.</p>
<p id="MghfZi">I would expect three changes from the side that beat Rapid Vienna in midweek, with <span>Danilo D’Ambrosio</span>, Stefan De Vrij and Matteo Politano coming into the side. Dalbert could potentially replace <span>Kwadwo Asamoah</span> at left-back too, but that aside I think it’ll be the same team.</p>
<p id="s1Zuh0"><strong>VN</strong>: After a rocky few weeks, Inter have stabilized nicely, winning their past 4 matches and extending their lead on the third spot in Serie A to 4 points over <a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com/">AC Milan</a>. What’s changed over the course of those 4 wins from what was happening in the 4 winless matches prior to the streak?</p>
<p id="mJOik2"><strong>WB</strong>: The first reason behind Inter’s upturn in form, as alluded to previously, is the Icardi saga, which appears to have focused the team’s mind and ‘liberated’ a few players. Whether or not this is because the players despised Icardi and are happy he’s out of the way, or because they’ve realised they’ll all need to contribute that little bit more with their top-scorer no longer in the side, we don’t really know at the moment. But it’s undeniable it’s had a positive effect – at least in the short term.</p>
<p id="ZFamxB">The second reason is that Ivan Perisic and <span>Radja Nainggolan</span> are <em>finally</em> coming into form, having stunk the place out from August to January. Perisic has decided to start acting like a professional footballer again after failing to force through a move to Arsenal during the January <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a>, putting in Man of the Match displays against Sampdoria and Rapid Vienna last week; while Nainggolan has finally shaken off the physical gremlins which plagued him throughout the first half of the season, as well as cutting down his nightlife a tad to concentrate on his football.</p>
<p id="TYFoZ2">If Inter want to have a successful end to the season those two are indispensable, because they don’t have many other attacking weapons to call upon. When they’re both in form Spalletti’s side become a far more dynamic and multifaceted proposition.</p>
<p id="z7pw6d">I would also suggest a third reason: two of those four matches we’ve won have been against Rapid Vienna. Who aren’t very good.</p>
<p id="qvsYKS"><strong>VN</strong>: Which members of the <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a> squad are playing really well? Anyone who might surprise the casual viewer? In contrast, are there any players who are underperforming badly?</p>
<p id="7kEJaY"><strong>WB</strong>: The strongest part of Inter’s team at the moment, as indeed it has been all season, is the centre-back partnership of Stefan De Vrij and Milan Skriniar. If Inter are third in the league with 14 games left they have those two to thank for that, because no matter what everyone else in the side is doing they always perform for you come hell or high water.</p>
<p id="OwOc9m">On the flip-side, Kwadwo Asamoah and Matias Vecino are probably the two players underperforming the most at present. Asamoah had a fantastic start to the season after joining from <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/">Juventus</a> but his form has nosedived dramatically since October-November and nobody can really work out why. Vecino is a similar story in midfield, although he does at least have the slight excuse of having had a few fitness issues. </p>
<p id="NeJZwD">One man who might surprise a few people, if he plays, is Dalbert, because he’s finally started to look like a proper footballer of late. Spalletti has defended him to the hilt ever since he joined from Nice in 2017 and slowly but surely he’s beginning to relax into his not-so-new surroundings. (He’ll have a nightmare up against Federico Chiesa now I’ve said this.)</p>
<p id="sFR7c3"><strong>VN</strong>: Are there any Fiorentina players who you’re nervous about facing? Any matchups or areas of the pitch bear watching on Sunday?</p>
<p id="Mb83tR"><strong>WB</strong>: Federico Chiesa would make anybody nervous at this moment in time. He’s the kind of player you can’t do a huge amount to stop when he’s on his game, so I’ll be hoping he has one eye on the Coppa Italia this weekend. The other player I’m uneasy about is <span>Luis Muriel</span>, because he’s had a much bigger impact than I’d anticipated since arriving from Sevilla.</p>
<p id="N53HBk">Chiesa vs Asamoah/Dalbert is the matchup I’m most curious to examine, though. Inter are going to have to be careful they don’t leave their left-back isolated against Chiesa at any stage, although Perisic is usually very diligent with his defensive work so I’m hopeful it should work out OK.</p>
<p id="Iu2KgP">Having said that, people who understand tactics far better than I do keep telling me football matches are almost always won in central midfield, so I suppose Brozovic vs Veretout might be more important.</p>
<p id="YGY2Ix"><strong>VN</strong>: Okay, so this isn’t really about the match, but still. How likely is Spalletti to stick around with yall for next year? We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about the Nerazzurri brain trust looking elsewhere (Jose Mourinho?) and are just asking for a friend. No reason.</p>
<p id="I1A67v"><strong>WB</strong>: If you’re hinting at what I think you’re hinting at [ed. note: didn’t think I was subtle enough to hint, so thank you], I think you might be onto a winner. Spalletti has never hidden his affection for Fiorentina, after all…</p>
<p id="shq1KL">At the moment it seems unlikely he will still be in charge of Inter at the start of next season. A lot can change between February and May but it’s been widely reported for a while now that Spalletti will leave in the summer; partly because this season hasn’t been a resounding success, and partly because he doesn’t seem to be on exceptional terms with new CEO Beppe Marotta.</p>
<p id="3M6WKn"><strong>VN</strong>: Alright, let’s do the prediction thing. What’s the final score, who gets the goals, and what’s the overall pattern of the match?</p>
<p id="en3W0U"><strong>WB</strong>: I stated on a podcast earlier this week that Inter would win 2-1, with Brozovic, Nainggolan and Chiesa on the score-sheet. So I’ll have to stick with that in order to avoid contradicting myself.</p>
<p id="2RoAig">I expect it to be a very open match with a lot of end-to-end action, because these sides are both very good at turning attack into defence quickly. Fiorentina will probably come out of the traps quicker before Inter slowly take control, at least in terms of possession and territory. It’ll be a tight one and the game will go to whichever side can capitalise on their periods on top.</p>
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<p id="DprDHZ">As ever, thanks for the help, Will. See you on Sunday.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/special-features/2019/2/23/18236853/fiorentina-inter-milan-serie-a-preview-lampredotto-with-the-enemy-serpents-of-madonnina-will-beckmanThe Tito2019-02-22T01:43:53+01:002019-02-22T01:43:53+01:00Fiorentina vs Inter Milan: Preview
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<img alt="SPAL v ACF Fiorentina - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DYGeqz4V9fbkws6QWU_iUxLAkWs=/0x0:6016x4011/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63092294/1130289381.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Help me, Obi-Wan Chiesa. You’re my only hope. | Photo by Mario Carlini / Iguana Press/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is the start of a two-week stretch that could well determine the Viola’s fortunes for the year.</p> <p id="kbamtv">Fresh off one of the most controversial wins in recent memory, <a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a> don’t get a chance to catch their breath as they host high-flying <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a>, who are dealing with some crises of their own. These two have met 172 times since 1931, with the Viola holding a pretty poor record of W49 D54 L69 (nice) with a -37 goal difference. Over their past 10 league clashes, however, Fiorentina have proven to be a bit of a bugbear for their more famous opponents, chalking up 5 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses. Inter <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2018/9/26/17902352/inter-milan-2-1-fiorentina-recap-icardi-var-serie-a-referee-chiesa-dambrosio">won the reverse fixture 2-1</a> back in September due to a really terrible PK and drew in Florence last year 1-1.</p>
<p id="eigYoK">The referee for this one is 33-year-old Rosario Abisso of <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/palermo">Palermo</a>. In 12 Serie A matches this year, he’s handed out 51 yellow cards, 1 red card, and 2 penalties; that’s a bit more restrained than he’s been in years past. Fiorentina have won all 4 matches that he’s handled, including the <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2019/1/15/18182620/torino-0-2-fiorentina-recap-and-player-grades">0-2 win</a> over <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/torino">Torino</a> in the Coppa Italia last month and the <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2018/8/27/17786458/fiorentina-6-1-chievo-verona-recap-review-player-grades-ratings-serie-a">6-1 win</a> over <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/chievo-verona">Chievo Verona</a> to open the season.</p>
<p id="QpTWyD">The match will be played on <strong>Sunday, 24 February 2019</strong>, at <strong>7:30 PM GMT/2:30 PM EST</strong>, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence. The forecast calls for a clear, nippy day, which should be perfect for the spectators as the sun will take off some of the chill. Keep an eye on the wind, though, which could gust up to 21 km/hr (13 mph).</p>
<h2 id="2wfSp2">Fiorentina</h2>
<p id="aBbUtQ">Don’t look now, but the Viola have crept into 8th place in Serie A, just 3 points behind <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/lazio">Lazio</a> and the final Europa League spot. The team hasn’t lost since the day after Christmas, a stretch of 6 straight matches in the league, plus a couple of big wins in the Coppa Italia. Much like they did in the late winter/early spring of last season, this squad has suddenly pulled together and gone on a run. However, Fiorentina’s habit of drawing—11 draws in 24 matches is joint-most in Serie A—remains a concern.</p>
<p id="1AjNMM">Manager Stefano Pioli will have to be at his best in this one, though, as rumors say that he’ll rest ST <span>Luis Muriel</span>, with CB Germán Pezzella (knee) and LW <span>Kevin Mirallas</span> (calf) also unavailable. The mister will likely set out his usual 4-3-3 with Giovanni Simeone up top. We’ve heard whispers that Marko Pjaca will get some minutes in this one, but whether he’ll get the start or come on as a sub is up for debate; he looked decent off the bench in the away fixture earlier this year.</p>
<p id="4FtzDt">Pioli will have to work quite a balancing act here, inviting the visitors forward before hitting them quickly on the break down the flanks. <span>Cristiano Biraghi</span> will try to get forward and provide another forward option, so the Viola left flank should be a spot to watch as each team tries to get the fullback up the pitch. Other than that, we expect the typical Pioli approach: furious man-marking, an attempt to pin opposing defenders into the corners and force wayward clearances which the attackers can pounce on, and generally turn it into something that’s both a grind and a track meet. Another point to note is that the Inter attackers and midfielders aren’t very good in the air, so attacking them at set pieces could be a useful path to goals.</p>
<h2 id="LcwMKv">Inter Milan</h2>
<p id="9FwsO2">It’s been a wild six weeks for the Nerazzurri. After 4 straight winless matches, including a loss at the San Siro to lowly <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/bologna">Bologna</a>, they’ve righted the ship with 4 straight wins, including an imperious dismissal of Rapid Wien to progress to the Round of 16 in the Europa League. However, this being pazza Inter, the turmoil continues due to the ongoing contract dispute with striker <span>Mauro Icardi</span>, who’s been stripped of the armband and exiled to the stands. Even so, Inter sit 3rd in the league with 46 points. However, they may rotate the squad heavily to avoid tired legs as they compete on three fronts.</p>
<p id="DgIK8v">Manager Luciano Spalletti will set out a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, likely with the in-form Lautaro Martínez up top. As usual, his teams will try to dominate possession, working overloads out wide to create crossing situations. The wingers sometimes come inside to become goal threats, allowing the fullbacks to overlap, but they also offer a threat in behind with the pace of Martínez. With the crossing ability on the flanks, the danger over the top, and the long-range shooting of <span>Radja Nainggolan</span>, Keita Baldé Diao, and Ivan Perišić, they can score pretty much any way they want to.</p>
<p id="FsOOoY">Spalletti will probably try to press high up the pitch and test the composure of this Pezzella-less backline, which hasn’t really convinced. If Fiorentina breaks the initial press, Inter will probably retreat to two deep banks of four. Given their penchant for keeping the ball and getting the fullbacks forward, finding Federico Chiesa in space on the flanks will probably be the focal point here.</p>
<h2 id="Hx5RkD">Possible lineups</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FihPPWJPJRir6Uh5BndB5lkxqok=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/14168351/02242019_vs_inter_milan.png">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://www.sharemytactics.com/" target="_blank">Share My Tactics</a></cite>
<figcaption>Ceccherini or Laurini, Pjaca or Fernandes; Soares or d’Alessandro, de Vrij or Miranda, Dalbert or Asamoah, Gagliardini or Valero, Nainggolan or João Mário, Baldé or Politano</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="RhdYzq">How to watch</h2>
<p id="bC1B5u"><strong>TV</strong>: There’s a good chance that you’ll find this one on whoever carries Serie A for you, as it’s the league’s premier matchup on Sunday. Check the full international television listings <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3072114/fiorentina-vs-internazionale/">here</a>.</p>
<p id="8KnLh8"><strong>Online</strong>: <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/3072114/fiorentina-vs-internazionale/">Here</a> is your list of safe, reliable, and legal streams.</p>
<h2 id="M6Z7SJ">Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department</h2>
<p id="GPmVca">You can never really tell which Inter is going to show up on a given day, and their concern with the Europa League could lead to them overlooking Fiorentina. However, they’ve got a top mister to keep them motivated and no shortage of strength in depth, so we should be in for a tense match that pits contrasting styles. Fiorentina’s high-tempo pressure could cause the the Nerazzurri some issues, but the Nerazzurri just have so many weapons going forward. A madcap 2-2 draw feels about right, with Chiesa, <span>Marco Benassi</span>, Perišić, and Baldé Diao each on the scoresheet.</p>
<p id="BKxOQs"><strong>Forza Viola!</strong></p>
https://www.violanation.com/2019/2/22/18235034/fiorentina-inter-milan-preview-serie-a-h2h-predict-formation-lineup-watch-streamThe Tito