Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano was full of praise for Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi following their 1-0 Coppa Italia win. Rolando Mandragora’s spectacular effort from range was enough to secure a valuable first-leg with for the Viola, who were without a win in their last three games. Speaking with Sky Sport Italia after the match, Italiano explained the significance of the win and singled out the opposition keeper for his excellent display:
“Carnesecchi made two incredible saves on Gonzalez, in these matches, champions face each other. In the first half, we never let their forwards get into the game, we didn’t let them connect. The first round is in our favour, we move forward.”
Italiano continued: “We needed a win after a tough period, amidst difficult days and tough matches. We are confident for the return leg. I’m reading ‘Final within reach,’ but it doesn’t seem within reach to me. Even if we had scored another goal, it wouldn’t have changed anything, I am convinced that in Bergamo it will be a very difficult match. We hold onto the advantage knowing that in the return leg, we will have to play an amazing game, as demanded by the opponent and the fact that there is a final at stake.”
Italiano then added: “When we play with three up front, the players have freedom of movement, today the players stretched their line well and worked well in duels. Atalanta is strong in duels and has quality up front.”
Finally, a reserved conclusion on tactics: “We were smart to shift to the wings when we attacked strongly on the full-backs, doing it with this speed limited them. Starting strong allowed us to be aggressive. We would have signed for victory with any result, we are satisfied.”
