Pre-match
It was a little disappointing that both teams were missing so many players: Kialonda Gaspar, Sadik Fofana, Medon Berisha, Riccardo Sottil, and Francesco Camarda for Lecce; and Niccolò Fortini, Tariq Lamptey, Fabiano Parisi, and Moise Kean for Fiorentina. The Viola did come out wearing their 3rd? 4th? 5th? Whatever number it was, some sort of blue uniform that looked just fine, actually, although it seemed awfully similar to David de Gea’s outfit, which was just the regular outfield purple.
First half
Lecce immediately
pinned Fiorentina back. The Viola coughed up possession time and again to put themselves under pressure, failing to exit their half. It went from bad to worse when Robin Gosens pulled up limping, forcing Paolo Vanoli to bring on Luis Balbo. The Salentini nearly made it count went Walid Cheddira headed a free kick on frame and de Gea seemed to lose track of the ball but Nicolò Fagioli headed it back off the line. Rolando Mandragora forced a save just before the half hour but Wladimiro Falcone parried it. He couldn’t stop Jack Harrison moments later, though, who rounded off a great attack by curling home after Mandragora slipped him in. It was the Gatorade Player of the Year’s first Serie A goal, too.
The goal gave Fiorentina a bit of confidence and the midfielders improved a bit, gaining some control to provide some relief from the constant pressure, but the Salentini continued their dogged pressing and never let the Viola find a rhythm. There were a couple good breaks but the ball mostly stayed in the wrong half as mistakes and wrong decisions allowed the hosts to gain possession high up time and again. They nearly made it count right at the end of the half, too, but Cheddira juuussst failed to reach Lassan Coulibaly’s lofted ball to the back post. When the whistle went, it felt like Fiorentina was lucky to be leading and needed to improve to ensure it took home all 3 points, but taking the lead despite a sub-par performance was encouraging.
Second half
Vanoli brought on Manor Solomon for the wretched Albert Guðmuindsson at the half but Lecce kept the pressure up, pinning the Viola back and creating chances. Marin Pongračić came up big with several crucial blocks and clearances as Lecce poured forward with the intensity born of desperation. There were multiple scrambles in the Fiorentina penalty area and even through the screen, it was obvious that the hosts were on the verge of breaking through. It took them long enough but eventually they struck in the simplest way possible: Antonino Gallo hooked in a corner and very large boy Tiago Gabriel headed it home.
It certainly felt like Lecce wasn’t finished as it followed the formula that had won it the equalizer: press high, turn Fiorentina over, get the ball wide, and cross it. The difference in physical and emotional intensity was really astonishing and aside from Ndour’s header just after the equalizer, the Viola barely got the ball into the final third, much less created anything. I would’ve bet my rent payment that the Giallorossi would find a winner based on their palpable superiority but although they huffed and they puffed, they couldn’t quite find that second goal before Fabio Maresca’s triple blast on the whistle.
Full time
Goals: Tiago Gabriel 71’ (ass. Gallo)Harrison 30’ (ass. Mandragora)
Cards: Pierotti 62’, Tiago Gabriel 72’; de Gea 76’, Pongračić 80’, Fazzini 82’, Solomon 90’+1
What we learned
-Albert Guðmundsson produced maybe his worst performance of the season, which is, I suppose, quite an achievement. I didn’t think he could still disappoint me but he proved me wrong. His highlight was charging down a free kick just before halftime. He lost every ball he touched, offered no resistance out of possession, and plumbed new depths of uselessness.
-Pongračić was Fiorentina’s man of the match. He was flawless in every phase. With Fabio Paratici openly admitting that he’s looking to shrink the squad considerably this summer, I wonder if Marin just increased his value enough to earn a move elsewhere.
-The lack of intensity from the entire team was concerning. Lecce won every duel and bullied Fiorentina for 90 minutes. I get that the Dumutru Effect means the hosts were always going to be very dangerous but this was like watching someone get hit by a Zamboni for 90 minutes.
-I like Balbo as a prospect but Santiago Pierotti and Conan N’Dri ate his lunch. They were stronger, faster, and reacted more quickly to everything. It was a reminder of the gulf between Primavera star or even Conference League rotational option and Serie A contributor.
-I don’t completely blame Vanoli for this performance but he was really lucky to get anything out of this game. Sure, he lacked the bench to make an impact but his players couldn’t match Lecce at all. The second half in particular was pathetic as wave upon wave of Giallorossi attacks broke forward with nothing, and I mean nothing, going the other way.
What’s next
As grim as it was to watch, a point is a point and it’s probably enough to ensure salvation. Fiorentina’s now at 36, 8 ahead of Lecce with 5 games left. The Viola can’t get too comfortable, though, because the Salentini have a softer closing schedule (at Verona, at Pisa, vs Juventus, at Sassuolo, vs Genoa) and could pick up a better string of results than anyone expects, especially if they can maintain this sort of level. Our favorite idiots, by the way, have a trickier slate (vs Sassuolo, at Roma, vs Genoa, at Juventus, vs Atalanta) so it’s way too early to call it Mission Accomplished.
Anyways, the more immediate concern is that game against Sassuolo next week. I’ll be interested to see how a full week of training/rest impacts this team, which has looked like it’s running on fumes for the past month as injuries piled up during twice weekly games. Sassuolo ambushed Como last time out and has secured a comfortable mid-table spot after a year-long vacation from Serie A. Maybe that’ll be enough to make the Neroverdi take their foot off the gas but I doubt it, especially since their coach Fabio Grosso is reportedly on Paratici’s shortlist.
