Serie A 2021/22: How Fiorentina out-fought and out-thought Juve to secure Euro spot – tactical analysis

The Serie A 2021/22 campaign has now reached its conclusion, and with it, the fierce battle for the final qualification spot for next season’s UEFA Conference League. Going into matchday 38, Atalanta were 8^th and had the potential to jump into 7^{th (}the final qualification spot) with a victory at home against Empoli. They failed to do so, losing 1-0, which meant Fiorentina’s 2-0 win against Juventus secured European football for the Gigliati.

Fiorentina’s big test of the season was adjusting to life without star striker Dušan Vlahović, following his January move to Champions League hopefuls Juventus, and despite inconsistent form in the second half of the season, they were able collect enough points for a strong finish, with some impressive wins on the way against the likes of Roma. This tactical analysis will look at how they were able to conquer another Italian giant in Juve to conclude their season successfully, looking at their tactics on and off the ball, along with an analysis of Juventus performance.

Lineups

Hosts Fiorentina lined up in a 4-5-1 formation which looked to combat Juve’s midfield presence, ultimately forcing Juve to utilise wide areas which meant the wing-backs had to commit to attacks more. Pietro Terraciano kept goal, with help from a back four of Lorenzo Venuti, Nikola Milenković, Igor, and Cristiano Biraghi. Sofyan Amrabat offered defensive protection in midfield, while Giacomo Bonaventura and Alfred Duncan operated with more attacking presence in the engine room. Wide support came from Nicolás González and Riccardo Saponara, with Krzysztof Piątek leading the line.

Visitors Juventus came out in a 3-5-2 shape. Paulo Dybala played what is likely to be his final game in a Juve shirt, partnered up front with Moise Keane. Juve’s midfield consisted of Adrien Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli, and young star Fabio Miretti. Alex Sandro and Federico Bernadeschi operated as wing-backs in front of the back three.

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