Pre-match
Adrien Siemieniec was without stars Taras Romanczuk and Afimico Palulu but otherwise sent out his strongest side. Paolo Vanoli picked a distinctly second-choice XI, making 8 changes from the group that beat Como at the weekend and Fabio Paratici explained that the club’s made a conscious choice to “divide the Conference League from Serie A” in case it wasn’t obvious that the regulars wouldn’t be risked.
The real story was the weather. It was -7°C/19°F at kickoff and the pitch was, as you’d expect,
pretty well frozen solid. The atmosphere was quite warm inside the Stadion Miejski, though, as the Jagiellonia Białystok fans created an unexpectedly warm atmosphere. They filled up most of the stands, sang their hearts out, and displayed some pretty cool tifos. It was probably a blast for the 350ish Fiorentina fans who made the trip.
First half
Fiorentina started tentatively, uncertain how its own players would interact with each other and how good Jagiellonia actually was. That allowed the hosts to dominate the first 20ish minutes and nearly score a fluky goal after Fortini made a mess of a back-post clearance, hammering the ball off Kamil Jóźwiak and nearly in via a ricochet. The Viola grew into it, though, and created a couple of decent chances. Giovanni Fabbian volleyed the first directly at goalkeeper Sławomir Abramowicz and then forced a fantastic save from him just before the break. At halftime, you’d have to say that the Viola had had the better chances but that neither side actually deserved a goal, partly because the frozen surface made precision movements impossible.
Second half
Fiorentina came out with a focus on getting Jack Harrison involved down the right. It worked as he put 3 balls into the box in the first 7 minutes, including one that resulted in Ndour’s shot getting blocked out for a corner. Form that corner, the ball came back out to Fazzini on the wing and he promptly returned it to the back post, where Luca Ranieri had shaken loose of his marker and mashed a header straight into Abramowicz’s hands with so much force that the goalkeeper couldn’t keep it out. To be fair, it was probably more an error than anything but Luca’s habit of popping up with key goals in Europe makes me think there was more to it.
Jaga responded well, with Ranieri blocking a Samed Baždar effort in the 6-yard box. Fortini couldn’t find the finish on a 1-v-1 following a corner, then referee Sebastian Gishamer (who didn’t have a good game) made a baffling decision to give the hosts a free kick on the edge of the box after an offside call and Bartłomiej Wdowik drove it off the upright, with Baždar missing the rebound. It felt like the hosts were about to seize the momentum back when Fazzini got chopped down just outside the area and Rolando Mandragora fired home an absolute rocket from the free kick. Great googly moogly.
With a 2-goal lead away from home, the Viola understandably dropped everyone into their own penalty box and looked to hold out as the hosts threw everything forward, generating a couple of half chances without ever really forcing Lezzerini into action. 10 minutes from time, Fazzini went on a mazy run into the box before losing the ball. Roberto Piccoli got himself in front of Dawid Drachal, who foolishly stuck a leg out and caught the striker to concede a penalty as stupid as it was obvious. Bobby Smalls picked himself up and put away the spot kick.
By that point, the tension had exited the game. With 10 bodies in its own penalty box, Fiorentina was happy to let a deflated Jagiellonia fruitlessly probe for the final moments and then celebrate a massive triumph away from home. It was, in fact, the first time all season that the Viola had won consecutive games.
Full time
Goals: Ranieri 53’ (ass. Fazzini), Mandragora 65’, Piccoli PK 81’
Cards: Wdowik 76’; Fazzini 21’, Mandragora 41’, Lezzerini 76’
What we learned
-Cher Ndour was my man of the match. Guy was everywhere, constantly won possession, and kept his distribution really simple. His energy, physicality, and attitude make me think that he could become a good squad player with a bit more seasoning and has a ceiling for even more. He’ll remain a backup for the rest of the year but I think he’s got a lot to offer now and in the future.
-The pitch was a real issue. Players were anxious about being able to stop and start, which meant that defensive reactions in particular were muted. Basically, everyone kept the handbrake on at all times and the result wasn’t very fun to watch.
-Fazzini’s a good dribbler but his inability to connect with his teammates is a genuine problem for his development. We’ve only seen him in second-choice, experimental teams this year, making it harder for him to show any passing quality, but I don’t see a future for him if he can’t make a pass.
-Fortini’s not a fullback. I’d like to see him on the left wing at some point, particularly with Albert Guðmundsson out. His physical characteristics let him cause problems at transitions and his clumsiness and lack of focus aren’t as detrimental.
-For the second game in a row, I could see that bastard mindset. Credit to the mister. He’s forging this group into one that enjoys playing the spoiler.
What’s next
A long flight home, of course, and then maybe a day off so everyone can sit under an electric blanket and reset their body temperatures. Next up is a Monday night Tuscan Derby against Pisa. The Torri are almost certainly getting relegated so 3 points is necessary to ensure that this fixture isn’t on next year’s calendar. Fiorentina, after all, needs every point over these final 13 games of the season as it battles Lecce to avoid the final relegation spot.
This result doesn’t have any direct impact on the standings, of course. You could even argue that it’s detrimental to this campaign for survival as it’ll add more midweek fixtures to the schedule, assuming the Viola make this advantage count in the home leg. However, the positive momentum that a win here generates might mean something, especially if the players can take this attitude and carry it into Serie A as well.
