Vincenzo Italiano says Fiorentina’s 0-0 against Viktoria Plzeň was a positive result, ahead of next weeks return-leg. The Viola had the lions share of possession, but failed to create any clear goal-scoring chances, managing just two shots on target. Speaking with Sky Sport Italia after the match, Italiano drew the positives from the performance:
“Our aim was to secure a positive result ahead of the return leg. We achieved that, but we should have been more clinical in the final third. Plzen were organized defensively, making it difficult for us to find openings. There were instances where we could have been more effective, but football is played over 180 minutes, and this result is positive.”
Italiano acknowledged the tightly contested nature of the game, emphasizing the need for defensive solidity: “When you commit many players forward, you risk leaving gaps, and conceding against them would have been problematic. We didn’t want to give them opportunities to hurt us, and we succeeded. As I said, in European competitions, you have to consider the entire tie, so we’ll be more unpredictable in the return leg and aim to try something different.”
Italiano addressed the performance of Nico Gonzalez, highlighting the need for sharper decision-making in the final third: “Players like Nico are crucial; we need to be smarter and more cunning in the last 20 meters.” Looking ahead to the return leg, Italiano expressed confidence in his team’s ability to adapt: “We’ll be prepared; we’ve analyzed this team and understand where they can pose threats. In the return leg, we’ll need to take more responsibility to break down a defense that concedes few goals.” Finally, Italiano commented on Lucas Beltrán and the attacking department: “Lucas operates in that area; he prefers to stay there to evade marking. Today, he could have provided two or three more quality assists, but he prefers that part of the field. We have a more physical striker in Belotti and Nzola. We need that type of attacker.”
