Pre-match
Paolo Vanoli went with a 4-2-3-1 to fit both Albert Guðmundsson and Manor Solomon into the side. Marin Pongračić filled in at rightback instead of Pietro Comuzzo, who stepped into the center. Moise Kean, Dodô, and Fabiano Parisi were all injured. Oliver Glasner, on the other hand, picked his strongest XI. Perhaps to make up for the personnel shortcomings, the Artemio Franchi turned out in force.
First half
Daniel Muñoz got free down the right within the first 3 minutes but whiffed his shot; that was about as obvious a warning sign as you could get. Fiorentina took the initiative after that, keeping the ball in the final third, but you always got the sense that Palace could and would break at any moment and create problems. That’s exactly what happened, too, and sure enough it was Muñoz all alone on the right, serving as the wall with Ismäila Sarr and crossing for the Ivorian to powerfully head home from close range amidst some pretty static defending.
That goal ended the tie. Sure, Rolando Mandragora winning a penalty that Albert Guðmundsson converted gave the home fans something to cheer. We all knew, though, that it just didn’t matter.
That lifeline was just enough to increase everyone’s grumpiness—temper boys Marin Pongračić and Yeremy Pino earned themselves a double booking after an exchange of opinions—and the half ended 1-1. It was a bit odd: Fiorentina needed to introduce chaos and open up the game, but Palace’s obvious physical superiority meant that the Viola were at a clear disadvantage in those circumstances.
Second half
Vanoli swapped Nicolò Fagioli for Cher Ndour at the break in an effort to equal Palace’s athleticism but the play didn’t look too different: Fiorentina softly knocked at the door and Palace tried to counter but it felt like the hosts were gaining a toehold. Ndour confirmed that toehold with a splendid drive from distance 10 minutes after the restart, confirming his status as nigh-undroppable right now. He’s been marvelous.
Now chasing down just a 2-goal margin, you could feel Fiorentina snap into focus and the Franchi responded; it felt like a genuine momentum shift as Palace dropped all the way back and the Viola turned the screws. This edition of the team doesn’t have a lot of power behind that screw-turning, though, and never really threatened despite staying in the driver’s seat. At the end of the day, though, Vanoli’s boys deserve credit for grinding out a (meaningless) win and giving the vociferous home fans something to cheer even in aggregate defeat.
Full time
Goals: Guðmundsson PK 30’, Ndour 54’ (ass. Solomon); Sarr 18’ (ass. Muñoz)
Cards: Pongračić 40’, Comuzzo 45’+5, Ranieri 67’, Ndour 87’, Piccoli 90’; Pino 40’, Sarr 54’, Riad 77’
What we learned
-This 4-2-3-1 is interesting. There were a lot of natural rotations built into it. Credit Vanoli for creating something pretty interesting, at least academically. It didn’t matter here and might not matter the rest of the way but it’s worth keeping an eye on as a platform for next year.
-Ndour is Fiorentina’s best midfielder. His combination of physical excellence, intelligence, and technical ability is a rare intersection. If the 4-2-3-1 is the plan, he deserves a starting spot over Fagioli or Mandragora. I’m fully on the bandwagon.
-The difference in athleticism was just astonishing. Manor Solomon and Ndour were the only Fiorentina players who looked even close to posing Palace a problem in physical terms. It’s a stark reminder of how the game works but also could be informative as we try to figure out which way Fabio Paratici will move the club this summer.
-I’m coming around on Jack Harrison. He’s a limited player and has a very clear ceiling in terms of impact but he’s conscientious and works hard. Assuming he’s able to say more than, “Hello, how are you?” in Italian, that’s the sort of squad depth you want.
-Roberto Piccoli, on the other hand, looks more and more like a lost cause to me. Palace’s defenders were simply too big and quick for him but the end result wasn’t any different from what we’ve seen against middling Serie A opposition. I think he’s better than he’s shown this year but at this point, the combination of his transfer fee and the narrative around him makes me worry that he’s done.
What’s next
You know what? I’m fine with this. Bowing out with a win shows that this team’s got more spirit than ability, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a relegation battler. It would’ve been very easy for these guys to throw in the towel and conserve energy for Monday but instead they really went for it. Washing out of Europe in the quarterfinals against the favorites isn’t ideal, sure, but it’s respectable and demonstrates a character that wasn’t present even a couple months ago. I don’t want to wax lyrical about getting waxed across two legs but once again, Vanoli’s proven that he can drag his squad kicking and screaming into a baseline of competence.
Again, it didn’t matter here because this tie ended last week. When it will matter is at Lecce in a few days. If Fiorentina wins that game—and you’d back them to win that game, given their run of 5 straight without losing in Serie A—the threat of relegation will all but evaporate, leaving the Viola to play out the string as a disappointing and anonymous mid-table outfit. That’s not the best way to go into this summer of deep uncertainty but it’s also far from the worst.
For now, let’s bid farewell to Europe for the foreseeable future and turn our full focus back to domestic affairs. No more midweek games. No more unpronounceable opponents. No more desperate scrambling through Transfermarkt and YouTube and Wikipedia to figure out if Rakow or Częstochowa is the name of the town. No more European treadmill of mediocrity. I can’t say I’ll miss it but hey, at least it’s a dignified exit and that’s more than Vincenzo Italiano can say.
