Lecce and Fiorentina played to a 1-1 draw in a match marked by poor performance from both teams. Key players were missing, impacting the overall quality of the game.
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 pulled up limping, forcing Paolo Vanoli to bring on . The Salentini nearly made it count went 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. forced a save just before the half hour but parried it. He couldnât stop moments later, though, who rounded off a great attack by curling home after Mandragora slipped him in. It was the Gatorade Player of the Yearâs first Serie A goal, too.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Lecce vs Fiorentina match?
The final score was Lecce 1, Fiorentina 1.
Which players were missing from Lecce and Fiorentina during the match?
Lecce was missing Kialonda Gaspar, Sadik Fofana, Medon Berisha, Riccardo Sottil, and Francesco Camarda, while Fiorentina was without Niccolò Fortini, Tariq Lamptey, Fabiano Parisi, and Moise Kean.
How did the missing players affect the Lecce vs Fiorentina game?
The absence of key players contributed to a disappointing performance from both teams, resulting in a lackluster match.
What uniform did Fiorentina wear in the match against Lecce?
Fiorentina wore a blue uniform, which was noted to be similar to David de Gea's regular outfield purple outfit.
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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 Coulibalyâs 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 GuĂ°muindsson at the half but Lecce kept the pressure up, pinning the Viola back and creating chances. Marin PongraÄiÄ 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 wasnât 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 Ndourâs header just after the equalizer, the Viola barely got the ball into the final third, much less created anything. I wouldâve bet my rent payment that the Giallorossi would find a winner based on their palpable superiority but although they huffed and they puffed, they couldnât quite find that second goal before Fabio Marescaâs triple blast on the whistle.
Full time
Goals: Tiago Gabriel 71â (ass. Gallo)Harrison 30â (ass. Mandragora)
Cards: Pierotti 62â, Tiago Gabriel 72â; de Gea 76â, PongraÄiÄ 80â, Fazzini 82â, Solomon 90â+1
What we learned
-Albert GuĂ°mundsson produced maybe his worst performance of the season, which is, I suppose, quite an achievement. I didnât 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.
-PongraÄiÄ was Fiorentinaâs man of the match. He was flawless in every phase. With Fabio Paratici openly admitting that heâs 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 NâDri 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 donât 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 couldnât 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.
Whatâs next
As grim as it was to watch, a point is a point and itâs probably enough to ensure salvation. Fiorentinaâs now at 36, 8 ahead of Lecce with 5 games left. The Viola canât 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 itâs way too early to call it Mission Accomplished.
Anyways, the more immediate concern is that game against Sassuolo next week. Iâll be interested to see how a full week of training/rest impacts this team, which has looked like itâs 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 thatâll 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 Paraticiâs shortlist.
