Serie A 2020/21: Inter vs Fiorentina – tactical preview

The Serie A first round was missing а couple of very important participants that could well be among the title challenges in the 2020/21 season. Atalanta and Inter are yet to play their first games since the start of the new campaign. The Nerazzurri will meet Fiorentina in aim to start off with a full package of points and show off their enhanced squad, hoping to conquer Juventus for the title this year.

There was a lot of uncertainty going on in the club after a very disappointing end to their Europa League venture back in August, losing the final against Sevilla. It all got better after Antonio Conte announced that he will be staying and after making some important moves on the transfer market.

When it comes to Fiorentina, last season they showed a lot of potential, especially in their defensive performance. It seems that improving their actions upfront could be the key for better results now.

They won their first game against Torino, scoring one goal and keeping a clean sheet, which showed their ability to display a balanced performance.

In this tactical analysis preview, we will examine both team’s tactics and use analysis to explain how they could expose each other in what is expected to be an interesting game.

Squad changes and expected formations 

Inter had a very subtle activity on the transfer market, really looking to enhance their week spots and provide more depth on certain positions. Their most expected arrival was the full-back Achraf Hakimi, who arrived from Borussia Dormund, and will most probably have to adjust to the wing-back role based on Conte’s favoured 3-5-2.

They also signed the experienced Alexandar Kolarov from Roma, who will definitely add up confidence to Inter’s defensive line, who had their struggles last season. Both will most probably make their debuts in the game against Fiorentina.

The Nerazzurri also looked to improve their midfield line with the arrival of Arturo Vidal from Barcelona. He is more likely to start on the bench, although with the absence of Matías Vecino in the central line, Conte might be fancy to try out new combinations.

Fiorentina have one of their best performers last season, Erick Pulgar absent, which means that Sofyan Amrabat might be making his debut for La Viola. Their rock in defence and captain Germán Pezzella is back in the squad, which is great news for the team since they might experience struggles defending against Inter’s powerful forward line.

Both teams are expected to start in their usual 3-5-2, although they definitely differentiate from each other. Inter are more likely to focus their actions on going forward as much as they can, while Fiorentina are expected to look for balanced defensive performance and taking advantage of their opportunities upfront.

Forcing Fiorentina into individual mistakes

Although Fiorentina have ended last season with an impressive defensive record, they do have some difficulties, especially when playing against creative sides that press intensely.

This result in a variety of different scenarios and expectedly none of them are beneficial for the team.

By losing the ball the players are often forced into individual mistakes and committing fouls in dangerous areas. The team fail in avoiding unmeasured challenges which results in giving away a lot of chances in front of the goal. By failing to keep the possession they are also more prone to being caught on a counter, which could be exploited very smartly by Inter. Fiorentina’s three-man defence combined with Inter’s players’ movement could turn out problematic.

The team find it hard to defend against skilful players, which is another weakness that the Nerazzurri could expose. Using Romelu Lukaku’s physicality and control could be the key for breaking through La Viola’s defence.

With Lukaku’s smart positioning and Lautaro Martínez’s support, Inter could pin Fiorentina back and force them into individual errors in the box, and giving away penalties. They could use their movement and strong partnership to create chances in the final third, and with the help of Hakimi, who usually joins the attacking ventures, they could expose Fiorentina easily. La Viola struggled with defending in the box last season and gave away a high number of penalties.