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Fiorentina – AC Milan 2-1: Highlights and match report
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Fiorentina – AC Milan 2-1: Highlights and match report

Before the game

Raffaele Palladino selected Edoardo Bove on the left wing, providing stability in the middle and cover for Robin Gosens’ forward forays as the ex-Roma moved inside. Pietro Comuzzo officially secured his starting spot in central defense ahead of Lucas Martínez Quarta. Paulo Fonseca, who was struggling with several injuries, made the AC Milan team as expected.

First half

Both teams were pretty positive and showed a few good moves without really creating anything, apart from a header from Álvaro Morata that almost hit the back post. The first real talking point came from referee Luca Pairetto, who gave the hosts an incredibly soft PK after Theo Hernandez might have touched Dodô on a free kick in the corner of the box. The man in the middle checked the monitor and amazingly pointed to the spot, but Moise Kean had Mike Maignan save the spot in a silent show of justice.

Milan was obviously a bit nervous after this incident and didn’t really move forward. In fact it was the Viola who looked more dangerous, playing some lovely passes and even seeing Kean fire a shot home despite being obviously offside. Instead, it was Yacine Adli who used a long-range laser from a sharp angle to create a stunning gold dell’ex. I don’t know how that went, but great, googly moogly, was it worth the price of admission?

Fiorentina kept up the pressure and seemed to be the better team. Guðmundsson, Kean and Colpani looked lively with their movement and passing, and the defense handled the Rossoneri attack quite well, apart from a few moments of individual quality from Rafael Leão. It was all the more intense when Luca Ranieri (who himself wore the armband) pushed Tijjani Reijnders into the penalty area just before half-time, but David de Gea made a great save to save Hernandez’s penalty and bring his team along a lead into the break.

Second half

The guests came out of the game with new energy and pushed Fiorentina back. Kean ran after and shot the ball into the goal, but was correctly flagged for offside for the second time in the game. Milan continued to throw numbers forward and were rewarded when Kean kicked out Mattia Gabbia while trying to clear a corner. This time it was Tammy Abraham who took the penalty, but despite taking the penalty the other way, de Gea did the unthinkable and saved a second penalty of the game.

However, this triumph was short-lived as Milan held on and eventually made the breakthrough. It was Christian Pulisic who met Hernandez’s cross at the back post and converted it into the goal.

The Viola responded decently, coming forward and causing some problems but still looking a bit fragile. It looked like Colpani had won a very obvious penalty when Hernandez caught him after a clever little back-heel kick, but Luca Pairetto somehow decided not to give this most obvious penalty, probably fearing the backlash that would come from giving it out was caused by four penalty kicks. Instead, it was a combination that would have made Beppe Iachini proud: de Gea launched one that Fikayo Tomori completely outclassed, so Kean knocked it down and Guðmundsson smashed it home. For Beppe Iachini it was a wet dream of a goal.

After that the intensity increased. Milan threw everything forward and de Gea was forced into a few more saves that just looked routine at this point, even though they were really, really good. Fiorentina sat back and held on, tried to hold on and gave it their all. Palladino even got a red penalty for yelling at Pairetto after throwing his blazer onto the turf, which was pretty funny.

However, Fiorentina just about held on, riding de Gea and a tenacious defense to victory and almost snatching another goal in the end when poor bloody Kean curled a strike off the bottom of the crossbar and wide. In the end, however, Milan were so frustrated that they realized it was over, and Theo Hernandez even received a red card after the final whistle for swearing at Pairetto.

Full time

Goals: Adli 35′ (equestrian Gosens), Guðmundsson 73′ (equestrian Kean); Pulisic 60′ (ass. Hernandez)

Cards: Dodô 8′, Palladino red card 85′ (lol), Bove 90’+5; Tomori 24′, Fonseca 30′ (lol), Morata 43′, Reijnders 72′, Hernandez red card

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What’s next?

Not only was this a huge win, but it was potentially a season-defining one. The Viola were the better team in the first half, creating plenty of chances out of the game and showing a lot of personality after the break to hold on and then score the winner when things took a turn against them. The sheer willpower to persevere and win was exemplary. Next time around there may be more of the usual incoherent, error-prone idiocy, but beating a top-flight Serie A club in the first Test in Franchi is a massive boost.

Fiorentina also has some time to enjoy this victory as the international break is just around the corner. Palladino will have plenty of time to work with his team to iron out the kinks and build on what has worked here. The next game is in Lecce on October 20th, followed by a long trip to Switzerland the following Thursday for a Conference League duel in St. Gallen. A few good results and we were finally able to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere that has been conspicuously missing in Florence for more than a year.

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