Both Inter and Fiorentina played their cards close to their chests in their league matches before their cup showdown in Rome. Still, Giancarlo Rinaldi tried to sneak a peek at what they told us about the two teams hoping to lift the trophy.
Although they have played 24 Coppa Italia Finals between them, their paths have never crossed in this particular showdown before. Inter and Fiorentina are Italian Cup aristocracy with very different histories. The Nerazzurri have won five editions in the past 20 years while the Viola’s last triumph was more than two decades ago. But what did their weekend battles – with Napoli and Torino respectively – say about their current form?
Joker Jovic
Fiorentina played a pretty much entirely second-string XI in their away trip to the Granata but they still had a few tricks up their sleeve on the bench. Indeed, that was where they got their opening goal from with a cool-headed finish from Luka Jovic. The Serbian striker is definitely behind Arthur Cabral in the Viola pecking order but he showed the kind of sharpness that he has displayed in flashes this year. Nobody would say it has been a perfect campaign for the former Real Madrid man but there have been hints of what made him such a hot property a few years ago. If the game is tight at the Stadio Olimpico, he might just be the man to swing things in his side’s favour.
Deadly Dimarco
Although his team went down to defeat in Naples, Federico Dimarco showed his value once again despite his side being down to 10 men. He did not start the game at the Stadio Maradona but when he came on with about 15 minutes to go, he almost immediately sparked a revival with a perfect pass for Romelu Lukaku which means he is closing in on double figures for assists across all competitions this term. An almost certain starter in the cup final, his battle with Dodô is likely to be one of the key factors in the match. He has shown plenty of times already that he can provide the ammunition for any of his forwards to find the net.
Inconsistent Igor
If there was a bad time to fall into a run of poor form and misfortune then this is definitely it and Fiorentina centre-back Igor has been struggling of late. Hooked promptly after being baffled by Basel midweek, he was beaten again for Torino’s equaliser on Sunday afternoon. Vincenzo Italiano has shuffled his central defensive pairings all season with very mixed results but it did look like the Brazilian and Nikola Milenkovic were the best option. Now, though, it appears that Luca Ranieri and, possibly, Lucas Martinez Quarta have a better chance of starting than their barrel-chested companion.
Cup Kings
Defeat at the Serie A champions was, incredibly, Inter’s 12th league defeat of 2022/23 – a terrible performance for a squad which is among the strongest in the land. Losing to Napoli is no disgrace, but the Nerazzurri have been on the wrong end of results against Monza, Spezia, Bologna, Empoli and Udinese this season. It is probably only the cup competitions – Champions League and Coppa Italia – which have kept Simone Inzaghi in his job. If they had been able to replicate that form in league games they would surely be a lot closer to the side they succumbed to on Sunday. Still, if they lift two trophies to add to their Supercoppa success in January then surely no supporter will be complaining.
Robbie Rotten
If the weekend was a chance for some lesser lights to stake a claim to play in the Coppa final, nobody made a bigger mess of their opportunity than Roberto Gagliardini. Out of contract in the summer, few will be mourning his departure following his display against Napoli which compromised his team’s chances before half-time. His efforts to impose himself on the game seemed to consist of committing a series of fouls which ultimately resulted in him getting his marching orders before the interval. Never say never, but if his name appears on the team sheet midweek it would be more surprising than his coach sitting in silent contemplation instead of bellowing from the sidelines throughout the game.
Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. He is also half of the Rigore! Podcast team. You can follow him on Twitter @ginkers.