Cremonese Puts Fiorentina in Jeopardy with Sensational 5-0 Victory!

Oh sorry, do your fullbacks not score wondergoals? | Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images Pre-match Relegation maestro Davide Nicola didn’t have Jamie Vardy but did trot out a couple of Viola exes in Federico Ceccherini and Youssef Maleh.

Paolo Vanoli only had Moise Kean on the bench and so started Roberto Piccoli; with Manor Solomon injured, it was something approaching his first-choice XI. First half Cremonese came out firing and Federico Bonazzoli forced a good save out of David de Gea from close range after just 3 minutes but Fiorentina grew into the game. What stood out to me was a willingness to pass the ball quickly and move off it, qualities that have all too often been wanting.

Still, there weren’t any real indications that the visitors were going to crack the Grigiorossi defense until they did: it was Fabiano Parisi isolating 1-v-1 against Romano Floriani M, going by him on the outside, and raking a shot across goal with his right foot. It might’ve taken a deflection to get past Emil Audero but it ended up in the back of the net and that’s what matters. Fiorentina didn’t immediately come unstuck, much to everyone’s astonishment, and managed the game pretty well by cutting off the supply of balls into the box for Cremonese’s aerial threats to attack.

There were even a few competent passing combinations going forward with players moving off the ball and looking for quick interchanges around the penalty area, which felt like a breakthrough. Eventually one of those created another goal. Robin Gosens picked out Piccoli’s run behind with a lovely ball through the channel and Bobby Smalls deftly lifted it over an onrushing Audero with his left as if he’d never missed a similar chance in his life.