How can a result so joyous bring so much anger and frustration? If you could ask any of the fans, from either end of the Artemio Franchi Stadium on Monday night, they could have probably told you. Both sides finally closed the chapter on a hellish season with another stale result for each. Despite sealing safety, there were still lessons to be learned that each side should take notice of for next season, however.
In this tactical analysis, we shall see how Fiorentina and Genoa shaped up to primarily preserve their defence and how they did this rather well. Whilst both sides had attacking outlets to use, neither team proved to be particularly effective at making these viable, nor hardly seemed bothered by this.
For Fiorentina, their midfielders’ attempts at rotating into new spaces was weak and only forced the forwards to attempt the same, which gave them mostly limited chances from range. Genoa, on the other hand, were far more dependent on the home side making errors. However, in a game where overt offensiveness could have led to mutually assured destruction, each were satisfied to play for a draw.
Line-ups and starting formations
On paper, both of these sides lined up in recognisable and matching styles. Fiorentina hoped to finally find some luck with a 3-5-1-1. They’ve used this formation just three times this season in Serie A, but interestingly, twice within their prior five games.
In reality, this formation often evolved into a 4-4-2, however. A tactical analysis shows that Cristiano Biraghi often moved back into a more traditional left-back slot. This had the effect of pulling the midfield across to cover.
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