Vincenzo Italiano appreciated the ‘character’ shown by Fiorentina to fight back in a 4-3 win over Maccabi Haifa, but warns they ‘cannot be that superficial’ in the Conference League.
It was far tougher than expected for the Viola on neutral turf in Budapest, especially considering M’Bala Nzola had given them the lead in the second minute.
Maccabi Haifa turned it around to lead twice, Lucas Beltran and Rolando Mandragora getting them back on level terms, until Manuel Cafumana’s utterly foolish two yellow cards and a deflected last-gasp Antonin Barak winner.
“The result is positive and that is what we wanted, as in the first leg you must set yourself up for the return. We have a small advantage, we reacted to going behind with a show of character that I liked,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.
“We could’ve avoided conceding a few goals and scored a few more, but a positive result is what we wanted, I liked the reaction and we build on that.”
Maccabi Haifa only had four shots on target and scored with three of them, so it is not as if Fiorentina were wide open.
“Well one was a corner, the third was definitely avoidable, as we were in full control of the match. We must learn to sniff out danger and recognise those moments before they happen,” continued the coach.
“I am glad we got the victory and showed that desire to turn it around, to play with determination, but in some moments in Europe especially we simply cannot be that superficial.”
It is a recurring theme of Italiano’s Fiorentina that they tend to dominate possession and create chances, but always end up conceding cheap goals.
“I said before the match that we are improving going forward, but we need to be more alert and concentrated in defence. It’s all about the details, we are nearing the end of the season and every game is crucial. Every tiny detail can be costly, so we need to be less superficial and improve in every training session, every match, every aspect.
“I will say that many players who were injured are getting back into shape and that really makes the difference. They bring extra quality and we need them in the next two and a half months.”
Beltran is really starting to flourish at Fiorentina after a difficult start and seems to enjoy being a support striker far more than being a pure centre-forward.
“I think he played three or four different roles tonight. He is an intelligent player, so versatile, and in football it really helps to have players who use their minds as well as their feet. He is proving that and can meet different requirements.”