Fiorentina-Hearts 5-1: the viola smiles in the Conference League

From our correspondent Alex Frosio

13 October
– Florence

Always playing against the Scots, Fiorentina would not have the problem of scoring, so full-blown in the league. After the three in Edinburgh, the Italian team trims five to Hearts: eight in all, one more than those scored in Serie A. Meanwhile, qualification for the round of 32 of Conference is almost done, and there would also be the possibility of hang up in first place, but – again – goals will be needed when Basaksehir, already qualified, will reach Franchi, because the 0-3 in Turkey will be subverted. Meanwhile, the Italian is full of confidence and finds precious pawns on the front line, giving confidence to Jovic and 90 ‘- with a brace – to Nico Gonzalez.

Rain of goals

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The tension lasts 29 seconds, the time to dispose of it on the diagonal of Humphrys who stamps the internal post after a wrong lightening from Fiorentina, then Gollini watches over Grant’s tap-in. The rest is all downhill for the Viola. The men of Italian, once the fear has passed, rage. It’s a deluge of opportunities: in the 3 ‘Kouame takes off from Biraghi’s cross, the goalkeeper Gordon flies and deflects for a corner. Right from the corner, beaten 2 ‘later due to an injury to the Scottish right-back Atkinson, he gained the advantage: ball in motion, cross by Biraghi and Jovic in the center of the area did not even have to detach, because Cochrane’s marking was mild. Yeah, Jovic. Italian still chooses him, and not Cabral, at the center of the purple attack. You need confidence, minutes, match pace, confidence with the goal. And only the game can give them. The Serbian responds and is indeed alive. He plays on the bank, comes to meet, sorts. But it’s all Fiorentina to turn. Amrabat keeps the re-aggression high, laser-passages start from behind even straight to straight to activate the first line. The Hearts allow it and thus the foundations of the Italian game can be seen, but on these the rest of the structure must be built against the Serie A opponents, who grant a tenth of the spaces left by the Scots, little more than inexperienced. However, the Viola – in spite of the Italian scores – goes to the shot at almost every possession. At 12 ‘Mandragora’s post on a ball spat from a corner, at 22’ Nico Gonzalez – the first as a starter – earns a free-kick from the edge of the area that Biraghi draws at the intersection with his left. Humphrys, again him, eases the pressure a little at the invitation of McKay, but then again Viola. At 31 ‘the trio, the best goal for development: a touch from Jovic activates Kouame who focuses, closes the one-two with Barak, the ball still to Jovic who parades seeing the arrival of Gonzalez, whom he baptizes with the left-handed . Gordon in the 37th minute defuses a great left from Nico but only postpones the poker: high recovery, Barak commands the transition by activating Kouame, who returns the cross ball to him with the left from the Czech. Too much Fiorentina.

Resumption of management

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The pause, however, works as an anesthetizer. Italian spares the recovery to Jovic and Mandragora, putting Saponara and Duncan. And the beginning is like that of the first half. This time, however, the Hearts make no mistake: McKay makes Halliday travel to the left who strikes Terzic and first goes to Humphrys, faster than Igor, and right in the corner. This is enough to excite the pomace people, the three thousand Edimburghesi traveling to Florence. The quality of the purple game plummets: Fiorentina begins to lift the ball – Kouame is the central reference -, the construction is less clear. So, few opportunities, almost nothing. And Terzic risks on 20 ‘with a short back pass, but McKay does not take advantage of it. Before half an hour some signs of awakening: a header from Saponara, a too soft left from Nico, a poison-free head from Kouame. But Viola got back into gear and in the 33rd minute Saponara, triggered by a verticalization by Gonzalez, was spread out in the area by the bad Cochrane. A penalty that Nico himself places in ease for his personal brace and the 5-1. And Cabral? He still waits. He enters 4 ‘from the ninetieth for Kouame. The goals, Viola has already squeezed them all.