Viola Nation - Udinese 0-1 Fiorentina: Serie A 2021-2022A Fiorentina blog for Viola fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50059/viola-fav.png2021-09-27T21:31:27+02:00http://www.violanation.com/rss/stream/224630612021-09-27T21:31:27+02:002021-09-27T21:31:27+02:00Udinese 0-1 Fiorentina: Player grades and 3 things we learned
<figure>
<img alt="Udinese Calcio v ACF Fiorentina - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YYryk0QcdAcXkTyItH_jetifJHg=/50x0:4684x3089/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69916460/1342803491.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Viola showed no shortage of grinta in the kind of win that’s routine for good teams.</p> <h1 id="138S69">Player grades</h1>
<p id="qSP7IQ"><strong>Bartłomiej Drągowski</strong>—6.5: Mistake-free and made some really good saves, especially a one-handed stop on Beto at 55’ and on Gerardo Deulofeu at 84’. Fine with his distribution. Even when Udinese put him under siege, never seemed all that anxious. Exactly what he needed after a shaky couple of outings. </p>
<p id="opcI2g"><strong>Álvaro Odriozola</strong>—7: Looked very good. Constantly offered a threat down the right, playing in a couple of balls that created some chaos in the hosts’ area and could’ve easily been assists while keeping possession tidily farther back. Relatively sturdy on the back foot, although his penchant for picking up cheap cards is a slight concern. Definitely suited to a possession-based approach that doesn’t force him to defend as much and prioritizes his fitness on the overlap.</p>
<p id="WVDkUT"><strong>Nikola Milenković</strong>—6: Made a really bad mistake in letting Deulofeu get by him in the first half and struggled against Beto (who looks like a star in the making) at times, but dug in and kept Udinese at bay, highlighted by a headed block on a Deulofeu shot in stoppage time that looked goalbound.</p>
<p id="Mz74V3"><strong>Lucas Martínez Quarta</strong>—5.5: Looked a bit frantic at times and picked up a card for a poor sliding challenge for the second game running. His penchant for fouls is also a bit concerning; he looked likely enough to earn a second booking that Vincenzo Italiano had to replace him. Didn’t motor forward in this one but did produce a magnificent block on Beto that just about cannoned the striker into next week.</p>
<p id="W6Qqux"><strong>Cristiano Biraghi</strong>—5.5: Hit a couple of nice passes into the channel for Vlahović and showed some range with several switches of play out to the right wing but didn’t offer much influence in the final third. Struggled against nippy teenager Brandon Soppy in defense, although that might’ve been partly due to an early knock that eventually forced him off.</p>
<p id="YH6vic"><strong>Giacomo Bonaventura</strong>—6.5: Didn’t do a whole lot other than win the (very soft) penalty but wasn’t terrible. Pressed pretty well without actually winning the ball much and was conservative with his passing. Didn’t get forward as much to support Vlahović, instead looking to maintain the team’s shape; maybe it was Italiano’s orders or maybe he just needs a day off.</p>
<p id="19ttT5"><strong>Lucas Torreira</strong>—7: This is the guy we were hoping for. Constantly progressed the ball through the lines while screening the defense. Showed an ability to switch the play and control the tempo better than anyone since prime Milan Badelj while also offering considerably more mobility. Even won a couple of headers, which seemed to surprise him as much as everyone else.</p>
<p id="uHT2WO"><strong>Alfred Duncan</strong>—5.5: Played well early but flagged late on as Udinese pushed forward. Did the usual Alfred things of finding spaces, getting the ball in them, and then doing useful things with it, but also had a few more giveaways than we’re used to seeing. Spent a lot of time near the left touchline to balance Saponara’s drifts infield, which felt almost Marco Benassi-esque.</p>
<p id="F0Cagb"><strong>José Callejón</strong>—4.5: Somehow led the team in touches without doing a thing with them. Still has the technical ability but the legs are so obviously gone that he’s not very helpful. Lost the ball a couple of times, but it was more frustrating that he always passed backwards, even on the break, much like Ricky Sottil did against <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com">Inter Milan</a>. Worst of all, though, he let Beto, Deulofeu, and anyone else who wandered into his zone go right by him without any real effort. When it’s late in a tight game, that kind of attitude won’t cut it.</p>
<p id="sEC8wp"><strong>Dušan Vlahović</strong>—7: Notched the penalty to make it 10 straight without a miss in the league and bring his tally this year to 4 (3 from the spot). Struggled to get anything going against the very physical play of Bram Nuytinck and especially Rodrigo Becão, although referee Davide Ghersini probably let them get away with quite a bit more than he should have. Only managed 3 touches in the box and never really threatened in open play, although that’s at least partly because he was very isolated.</p>
<p id="2b1hY3"><strong>Riccardo Saponara</strong>—5: Found space decently well and encouraged his teammates forward with his typically understated passing, but seemed a bit off the pace. Missed a couple of relatively simple decisions you’d expect him to get right. Like Callejón, the technique is there, but the pace isn’t.</p>
<p id="p3KRv2"><strong>Aleksa Terzić</strong>—5.5: Looked competent in his 30 minutes (the most he’s ever played in Serie A), doing a solid Biraghi impression as he surged forward when possible to support Saponara. Held up pretty well defensively. Probably not ready to be an every-week starter but may have earned a slightly larger role against lower-half opposition in the future.</p>
<p id="Vr1aTN"><strong>Sofyan Amrabat</strong>—6.5: Where’s this guy been? Slotted in as the regista and seemed to be the only thing keeping <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> in this one at times. Barreled around the middle of the park, winning the ball and body checking Udinese’s midfielders. His ability to hold opponents off before releasing a pass relieved a lot of pressure. Much improved.</p>
<p id="ME1Bc9"><strong>Youssef Maleh</strong>—6: Showed impressive drive to get forward whenever possible, especially late on when Fiorentina played exclusively on the break. Probably needs to refine his positioning out of possession and calm down a bit when he gets near the box, but he already looks like a perfect Jack replacement.</p>
<p id="33FauN"><strong>Matija Nastasić</strong>—5.5: Brought in to grind out the win and did just that. Kept himself in the right positions and didn’t make any mistakes.</p>
<p id="8HKsKT"><strong>Igor</strong>—n/a: Played the final 7 minutes and stoppages as Fiorentina reverted to a 5-3-2 that would’ve made Beppe Iachini proud.</p>
<h1 id="5qfujR">Three things we learned</h1>
<p id="kyz0Yp"><strong>1. Nicolás González or Riccardo Sottil has to play.</strong> Nico’s been Fiorentina’s best player through these first 6 games and Ricky’s been perhaps the most frustrating, but it’s very obvious that Fiorentina needs at least one of them on the pitch at all times because they’re the only attackers who offer pace, both with and without the ball. Udinese realized that they could collapse their back 3 on Vlahović without worrying that Saponara or Callejón would blaze down the touchline and essentially double-teamed him for the full 90 minutes, daring one of the wingers to make them pay. Without someone fast to stretch the defense, everything gets stodgy and predictable.</p>
<p id="cs6zSg"><strong>2. January is critical.</strong> This is a solid team, but it’s got obvious flaws, none larger than the attack. There’s nobody besides Vlahović or González that opponents have to respect. While Italiano can scheme Jack or the Rickies into the occasional goal, he needs one more player who can consistently win individual battles and create opportunities for himself or for teammates in the final third. With an overstocked midfield and a hole on the left wing, someone like Domenico Berardi is the obvious solution, but perhaps Callejón’s massive contract will prevent Daniele Pradè from making the move this winter. If so, he’d better hope that neither of his stars get injured, because otherwise we’re going to see a lot more games like this, with Fiorentina flailing as their only good attacker gets marked out of the game. And if that sounds awfully familiar, well, it is.</p>
<p id="dfqFo9"><strong>3. This may have been the maturity we wanted.</strong> Despite decades of mid-table finishes, Udinese have always been one of the tougher defenses in Serie A. They sit deep, rotate fantastically well, and play to their strengths while constricting opponents. In response, Italiano decided not to maniacally press them, but to sit off as well, conserving energy and grinding out the sort of 0-1 win on the road that Europe-bound sides collect by the dozen. He even changed shape to a 3-5-2 late on in a successful bid to solidify things. While it’s considerably less romantic—every other Fiorentina game this season has featured a minimum of 3 goals—he’s probably setting his team up to harvest more points and suffer less exhaustion. Being able to shift gears from Mad Max: Fury Road to Stranger than Paradise makes Fiorentina much more difficult to play against.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/9/27/22696818/udinese-0-1-fiorentina-player-grades-ratings-3-things-we-learned-serie-a-analysisThe Tito2021-09-26T17:09:00+02:002021-09-26T17:09:00+02:00Udinese 0-1 Fiorentina: Match report
<figure>
<img alt="Udinese Calcio v ACF Fiorentina - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qSJx2VMf_6f2gIQJIKaAJt3J6E4=/0x0:3096x2064/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69911092/1342758999.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Love a goalkeeper wearing the home strip. | Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It was scrappy, scruffy, and downright ugly at times, but the Viola win on the road and keep their first clean sheet of the year in the process.</p> <h1 id="GyAR4U">Pre-match</h1>
<p id="heRNVm">Neither manager made any big changes to their respective XIs. With Rocco Commisso and his entourage in attendance, though, it felt like the traveling support might’ve outnumbered their counterparts, although that’s kind of par for the course in Udine.</p>
<h1 id="A50GCL">First half</h1>
<p id="5f1VqO"><a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> came out sharply, dominating proceedings entirely and eventually getting the breakthrough after Giacomo Bonaventura went down in the box under pressure from Walace. While referee Davide Ghersini initially ignored the contact, VAR prompted him to point to the spot, from which Dušan Vlahović made no mistake.</p>
<p id="nXSfQw">The Viola continued keeping the ball, but Udinese threatened more and more on the counter for the rest of the half, albeit largely through mistakes from the visitors. Really, though, there wasn’t much to watch as Ghersini let things devolve into a scrappy, unpleasant mess.</p>
<h1 id="RjTdzr">Second half</h1>
<p id="wbJiTX">For the first 20 minutes or so, it remained a contest of who could kick whom harder as Ghersini swallowed his whistle. For the final 25 or so, though, Fiorentina were visibly exhausted and retreated very deep. Bartłomiej Drągowski made a couple of good saves, but the defense, for the most part, denied Udinese any real chances despite spending nearly half an hour in its own penalty box.</p>
<h1 id="CqUjo0">Full time</h1>
<p id="Aey3uH"><strong>Goals</strong>: Vlahović PK 16’</p>
<p id="xMV1j2"><strong>Cards</strong>: Arslan 45’+2, Walace 53’; Martínez Quarta 17’, Amrabat 70’, Odriozola 90’+5</p>
<h1 id="5juJrM">What’s next</h1>
<p id="PhJL9D">It’s taken 6 tries, but Fiorentina finally have their first clean sheet of the season. Vlahović tacked on his third Serie A goal and 5th of the season, although his league haul has all been from the spot; in fairness to him, he’s now at 10 straight without missing a PK, so he deserves the success. More importantly, the win sees the Viola rise all the way to 5th place ahead of a visit from Napoli, who could go top with a win against Cagliari later today.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/9/26/22694544/udinese-0-1-fiorentina-match-report-serie-a-dusan-vlahovic-penaltyThe Tito2021-09-26T14:35:37+02:002021-09-26T14:35:37+02:00Udinese vs Fiorentina: Lineups and how to watch
<figure>
<img alt="ACF Fiorentina v FC Internazionale - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9tqY2J4yh6YxNTgGyjuiMrCHiqA=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69910668/1341870558.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/CPS Images/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>No big surprises for either side as we count down towards kickoff.</p> <h1 id="w7n1cB">Late news</h1>
<p id="rUrZpO">Udinese manager Luca Gotti handed zippy teenager Brandon Soppy his first Serie A start, but kept everything else as expected. Fresh off the news that <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> Women’s had gone to Rome and hammered Lazio 1-6, men’s side boss Vincenzo Italiano chopped and changed less than usual. The only real surprise was Riccardo Saponara preferred over Riccardo Sottil on the left wing.</p>
<h1 id="j9MeDe">Lineups</h1>
<p id="O4uZmn"><strong>Udinese</strong> (3-5-2): Silvestri; Becão, Nuytinck, Samir; Soppy, Pereyra, Walace, Arslan, Stryger Larsen; Beto, Deulofeu</p>
<p id="LI0c6P"><strong>Fiorentina</strong> (4-3-3): Drągowski; Odriozola, Milenković, Martínez Quarta, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Torreira, Duncan; Callejón, Vlahović, Saponara</p>
<h1 id="ueza1c">How to watch</h1>
<p id="FTjf2L"><strong>TV</strong>: Probably not, but check the <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/4064589/udinese-vs-fiorentina/">full international television listings</a> to be certain.</p>
<p id="QDQEl9"><strong>Online</strong>: <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/4064589/udinese-vs-fiorentina/">Here</a> is your list of safe, reliable, and legal streams. Any requests for or links to illegal streams will get you <a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/wwe-wrestling-3o6vY3dhreleTMsyly">the elbow</a>. If you’re the Twitter type, <a href="https://twitter.com/Viola_Nation">give us a follow</a>; we’ll be providing live updates there. Otherwise, keep it here in the comments for the usual mix of dread and whatever’s the opposite of dread with the best damn sports community on the internet.</p>
<p id="clMAtY"><strong>Forza Viola!</strong></p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/9/26/22694526/udinese-fiorentina-serie-a-official-lineups-formation-watch-online-streamThe Tito2021-09-24T20:30:00+02:002021-09-24T20:30:00+02:00Udinese vs Fiorentina: Preview
<figure>
<img alt="Football Serie A 2021/2022 AS Roma-Fiorentina" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ilgsMLNLLjjkQitoZH099yKnGuE=/0x0:3543x2362/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69904507/1336247720.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Lollo back. | Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Viola need to bounce back on the always-difficult trip to Udine.</p> <p id="5qKrbV"><a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> have a short week to shake off the funk they sank into against <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com">Inter Milan</a> on Tuesday as they head north and east to take on Udinese. In 102 previous meetings, the Viola hold a W51 D28 L23 mark, including W6 D3 L1 mark over the past 10. That loss, though, came in this fixture last season, when the good guys slumped to <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2021/3/1/22306704/udinese-fiorentina-serie-a-goal-highlights-analysis-grades-ratings-prediction">an abject 0-1</a>.</p>
<p id="DqFYA6">The referee for this one is 36 year old Davide Ghersini of Genoa. He’s worked 17 previous Serie A games, handing out 72 yellow cards, 3 red cards, and 9 penalties. This’ll be just his 3rd Fiorentina game; the previous two were a <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2018/9/22/17890098/fiorentina-spal-serie-a-preview-prediction-official-lineup-h2h-online-stream-highlight-goal-ratings">3-0 romp</a> over SPAL and <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2020/11/24/21658736/fiorentina-0-1-benevento-player-grades-ratings-serie-a-3-things-we-learned-analysis">a 0-1 capitulation</a> against Benevento.</p>
<p id="3zV8en">The match will be played on <strong>Sunday, 26 September 2021</strong>, at <strong>1:00 PM GMT/9:00 AM EST</strong>, in the Stadio Friuli in Udine. The forecast calls for a typically gray, Friulian autumn day. There’s a chance of drizzle, but it should be reasonably warm and still, so don’t expect a redux of the Genoa swamp.</p>
<h1 id="gdLsCB">Udinese</h1>
<p id="gXUU5J">Through 5 games, Udinese have coped with the departures of their two best players—Rodrigo de Paul and Juan Musso—pretty well. They sit in 10th place with 7 points, including a couple of impressive performances in a 2-2 draw against minnows <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com">Juventus</a> and a 0-1 loss at <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com">AS Roma</a> yesterday. As always, they look like they’ll stay in Serie A for another season despite lacking the resources most other clubs who’ve been in the league for 27 straight years possess.</p>
<p id="DIzbaC">Manager Luca Gotti will sweat the absence of CF Isaac Success (flu), but squad rotation will likely reshape his XI from what we saw against the Giallorossi. The hulking Beto should draw the start up front, while Tolgay Arslan and Jens Stryger Larsen are also likely to return to the lineup. This being Udinese, it’s going to be a 3-5-2, of course, so at least we know what to expect there.</p>
<p id="SbOuJw">That’s the thing about the Zebretti: you know exactly what they’re going to do, but they do it well enough to compete in almost every game. They like to work the ball around the back and really focus on getting forward in the wide areas, with the wingbacks tasked with a lot of progressive passing and ball-carrying before releasing a midfielder or striker working into the channel. Rather than deliberate buildup, though, they focus on high-risk, high-reward moves, which can lull an opposing defense to sleep before striking very quickly indeed.</p>
<h1 id="luwkry">Fiorentina</h1>
<p id="7LyqQi">It’s been an all-or-nothing kind of year so far, as the Viola sit in 6th place on 9 points following three 1-goal wins and a couple of big losses against title contenders. That said, you can see that the team is clearly progressing from its recent, listless past. While they’re yet to keep a clean sheet, the lowest-scoring games they’ve featured in has had 3 goals, so at the very least, they’ve been a lot of fun for the neutral.</p>
<p id="Nt2vPO">Manager Vincenzo Italiano won’t have LW Nicolás González (suspended) or CM Gaetano Castrovilli (ribs) and may not get RB Lorenzo Venuti (shoulder) or Erick Pulgar (thigh) either. He’ll field his usual 4-3-3, but as we’ve learned, predicting who’ll fill out those spots after Dušan Vlahović, Cristiano Biraghi, and Giacomo Bonaventura can be a fool’s errand. That said, José Callejón, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Alfred Duncan, and Riccardo Sottil all look likely to start.</p>
<p id="TlpZ6R">Udinese will likely sit deep and cede possession, so the attack here will be mostly predicated on finding spaces in the deep block. Without Nico or Tanino, Jack will carry most of the creative burden. Sottil’s dribbling (and decision-making) could be decisive, but the team needs to focus on getting Vlahović more touches in the area (he’s 52nd in per-90 there for Serie, behind 3 of his own teammates); if they can do that, the big man should give them a very good chance to get a result.</p>
<h1 id="NvxYXX">Possible lineups</h1>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-R3esYtFl2lCCHgHJc6H3tlRPfI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22875612/Screen_Shot_2021_09_24_at_11.17.15_AM.png">
<cite>Made using <a class="ql-link" href="https://www.sharemytactics.com/" target="_blank">Share My Tactics</a></cite>
<figcaption>Makengo or Walace, Beto or Pussetto; Martínez Quarta or Igor, Odriozola or Venuti, Torreira or Amrabat, Sottil or Saponara</figcaption>
</figure>
<h1 id="9nhmtc">How to watch</h1>
<p id="FTjf2L"><strong>TV</strong>: Probably not, but check the <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/4064589/udinese-vs-fiorentina/">full international television listings</a> to be certain.</p>
<p id="QDQEl9"><strong>Online</strong>: <a href="https://www.livesoccertv.com/match/4064589/udinese-vs-fiorentina/">Here</a> is your list of safe, reliable, and legal streams.</p>
<h1 id="GnkDu6">Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department</h1>
<p id="PO0zEw">Most of the betting lines I’ve seen have Fiorentina as slight favorites, which feels about right. The trip to Udine is always tough (more so since 4 March 2018) and the Zebrette are about as well-drilled a side as you’ll find in Italy. They know exactly who they are, what they want to do, and how they want to do it. Those teams are always tough outs.</p>
<p id="4UgiKj">That said, I think Fiorentina will walk away with a 0-2 win, largely due to a renewed focus on getting Vlahović involved. I think he’ll score one and set up another (let’s call it a layoff for Duncan) and that the Viola will be too good in possession for their hosts to disrupt very much, especially with an extra day of rest.</p>
<p id="AW2jk3"><strong>Forza Viola!</strong></p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/9/24/22691705/udinese-fiorentina-preview-serie-a-score-prediction-predict-lineup-formation-watch-online-streamThe Tito