After the heavy goleada suffered in Naples, the Fiorentina gets up with a home hit against Crotone, folded 2-1. Viola took the lead in the 20 ‘thanks to the ballistic masterpiece of Bonaventure with the external vehicle, after a spectacular personal action by Castrovilli; at 32 ‘ Vlahovic doubles with an easy tap-in that closes the triangle with Castrovilli and Ribery himself. In the second half (66 ‘) Simy halves the lead distances, but that’s not enough.
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THE MATCH
It took a convincing performance against the Crotone why the Fiorentina managed to put the blow of Naples behind him. The Viola get rid of the Calabrian team at home, bent by 2-1, and climb to twelfth place at 21 points, +7 from the relegation zone; Stroppa’s team, on the other hand, remains in the last place in the standings at 12.
The match opens with a free kick beaten by Biraghi; the left-handed of the latter ends decidedly high above the crossbar. At 20 ‘, however, here is the masterpiece advantage of the Viola: spectacular play on the left of Castrovilli, who jumps Djidji with a tunnel to return and tries to put a cross in the center, which turns out to be wrong but which becomes, in fact, an assist for the stop and the perfect execution on the fly from the limit of Bonaventure of right external middle, which overrides Cordaz. Shortly after the goal of the hosts, Vlahovic he goes all alone in the open field but his left-handed is countered by Marrone in a slide. In any case, it will be the Serbian striker who will find the doubling in the 32nd minute: everything starts again from Castrovilli, who jumped Eduardo Henrique with a brilliant veil and then served on the left Ribery, whose first-intention assist in the center for Vlahovic is just an easy-to-unwrap chocolate.
On the Franchi the intensity of rain and wind increases, but the pressure of Prandelli’s men does not decrease. Even if the first chance of recovery is for Crotone: Pereira’s cross from the right arrives at the far post, where Reca is however disturbed by the exit of his compatriot Dragowski and is limited to a dirty touch of the head. On the other hand, Cordaz is very good at repelling Vlahovic’s close deadlift in two stages. So, at 66 ‘, he thinks about it Simy to reopen the game with a header crushed at the far post on Pedro Pereira’s cross from the right. However, Fiorentina is not intimidated: Ribery claims a penalty for an alleged foul suffered by Eduardo Henrique, but he is not awarded. Substitute Pulgar’s right-footed shot closes the challenge.
REPORT CARDS
Castrovilli 7.5 – Much of the success of Prandelli’s team is undoubtedly thanks to him: first Djidji is ‘drunk’ with a tunnel, propitiating the 1-0 goal, then opens the triangle with Ribery and Vlahovic for the doubling. He is the best in the field.
Bonaventure 7 – The one with which he scored his first goal with the Fiorentina shirt is an extraordinary jewel: his stop and right outside half on the fly from the edge turns into an unstoppable parable for Cordaz.
Vlahovic 6,5 – Sixth goal in the last eight games for the Serbian striker, who will turn 21 in five days. He was completely intangible in Naples (like the rest of the team), but tonight he’s back to doing what he does best: scoring.
Simy 6,5 – After the brace against Benevento, the Nigerian striker heads (on his first chance) the goal in the middle of the second half, overtaking Caceres, who could reopen the match. But in the end it will prove to be a useless goal.
Luperto 6 – Very good at closing the entries of Ribery and Vlahovic, especially in the first half hour of the first half. He always proves to be attentive in the back department, even on a difficult day.
Zanellato 5.5 – Too ineffective in midfield to be able to put opponents in difficulty. A too decisive intervention on Bonaventure with feet together costs him a well-deserved yellow card. He is replaced in the final by Siligardi.
THE TABLE
FIORENTINA-CROTONE 2-1
Fiorentina (3-5-2): Dragowski 6; Milenkovic 6.5, Pezzella 6, Igor 5.5 (24 ‘st Martinez Quarta 6); Caceres 5.5, Bonaventura 7, Amrabat 6, Castrovilli 7.5 (41 ‘st Pulgar sv), Biraghi 6; Ribery 6.5 (41 ‘st Borja Valero sv), Vlahovic 6.5 (24’ st Kouamé 6). Available: Terracciano, Ricco, Barreca, Callejon, Eysseric, Montiel, Venuti. Coach: Prandelli 6.5
Crotone (3-5-2): Cordaz 6; Djidji 5.5, Brown 5.5, Luperto 6 (42 ‘st Golemic sv); Pedro Pereira 6, Zanellato 5.5 (32 ‘st Siligardi 6), Eduardo Henrique 5.5, Vulic 5.5 (15’ st Benali 5.5), Reca 6; Messiah 6 (42 ‘st Rojas sv), Simy 6.5. Available: Festa, Crespi, Dragus, Magallan, Mazzotta, Petriccione, Ranieri, Rispoli. All .: Stroppa 6
Referee: Piccinini
Markers: 20 ‘Bonaventura (F), 32’ Vlahovic (F), 21 ‘st Simy (C)
Ammonites: Igor (F), Zanellato (C), Ribery (F), Pedro Pereira (C)
THE STATISTICS
Fiorentina (2W, 4N) have remained unbeaten in six consecutive home matches in Serie A for the first time since November 2018 (4W, 2N).
Crotone have not won any of their last 12 Serie A away games (2N, 10P), conceding at least two goals on nine occasions in the partial.
In the last 10 seasons only one team has managed to save itself after obtaining a maximum of 12 points, like Crotone in this Serie A, in the first round; the Calabrian team (nine) in the 2016/17 season.
Fiorentina have won two of their last four Serie A games against newly promoted teams (1N, 1P) scoring seven goals in the set, having never managed in the previous nine (3N, 6P) without finding the net on seven occasions in the set.
Four of Giacomo Bonaventura’s last five Serie A goals have been scored from outside the box.
Giacomo Bonaventura is one of only three players to have scored in all the last 10 seasons of Serie A, along with Josip Ilicic and Fabio Quagliarella.
Since mid-December only Luis Muriel (seven goals) has scored more than Dusan Vlahovic (six) in Serie A.
Only Moise Kean and Erling Haaland (both born in 2000) are younger than Dusan Vlahovic, among the players with at least seven centers in the Top-5 European leagues.
Seven goals for Simy in this Serie A; the Nigerian forward has already equaled his scoring record in a top league set in 2017/18.
Simy has scored 51 goals between Serie A and Serie B with the Crotone shirt, contributing to 26% of the overall goals scored by the Calabrians (199) in the league from 2016/17 to today
150th appearance for Erick Pulgar in Serie A, the 50th with the Fiorentina shirt in the top league.
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