Italiano keeps pushing Fiorentina and studies Olympiacos

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano jokes Arthur Melo hadn’t scored in ‘7-8 years’ before tonight’s win over Monza, but is already studying Conference League Finalists Olympiacos.

The Viola had to rotate the squad and were missing several big players after Thursday’s Conference League semi-final win over Club Brugge, setting up their spot in the Final against Olympiacos in Athens on May 29.

“We said that we needed to be concentrated, as we need to keep plugged in and focused on what we’ve got to do both in Serie A and going into that truly important match with great spirit and enthusiasm,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

It was a rough start at the Stadio Franchi this evening, as Milan Djuric put Monza in front with a trademark header, but Nico Gonzalez nodded in the equaliser before Arthur Melo drilled a rare strike into the far bottom corner from outside the D.

“We did well with the comeback, the fatigue is getting to the players and we had to use Castrovilli wide to fill the gaps and let some others rest. We are playing with enthusiasm, what we try in training often works and just like last season, the lads are pushing hard at this stage.

“We knew that Djuric had been scoring a lot recently and that this situation could happen, but he’s so big and strong, I’m not sure there is a method of stopping him!”

If there is one player who seemingly never gets tired, it is Nico Gonzalez, while Arthur Melo has also shaken off some fitness issues.

“Nico is doing well, he had a period where he was not sharp, but you can see from his runs in attack and defence just how good he feels now. Having Nico in this shape right now is very important for us,” continued Italiano.

“Arthur scored a great goal, maybe it was 7-8 years since he last scored! Maybe that means things are changing now. Until recently he tended to fall away from the 60th minute onwards, but today he was really pushing until the 80th. He’s a great professional, working hard and this goal was the just reward.”

The Nico Gonzalez goal came from Fiorentina with a high press, swarming to prevent Monza getting out of their own final third until Antonin Barak eventually crossed to the Argentina international.

It was compared to the approach taken by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and before that in Germany.

“We expected Monza to change system, as they have been playing with four at the back recently, so we tried to get them to move around and find them in their weak area. It worked,” agreed Italiano.

“This high press brings some advantages, it also has risks, because if the opponents beat the first press then the spaces really open up. There are ways to avoid that too, including tactical fouls, blocking the corridors, and this goal was an example of why we play like this.”

As things stand, Fiorentina are now two points clear of Napoli in eighth place, but have a game in hand to be played against Atalanta on June 2.

This weekend, they will also go head-to-head with Napoli in what could be a decisive result for the Conference League spot.

Meanwhile, Italiano is already paying close attention to Olympiacos ahead of the Conference League Final in Athens.

“I was there in front of the television with pizza and Coca-Cola to study them in the second leg against Aston Villa. They are a strong, aggressive team, and if they beat Villa home and away, that means they have real quality.

“Their centre-forward is scoring consistently, but the team can close up and counter very effectively. It won’t be their stadium, but we are in their city, so you can imagine the atmosphere we will be stepping into.

“This is our second consecutive Conference League Final, we want to make the most of the lessons we learned from last season’s experience, as this is a great opportunity to bring a trophy to Florence.”

In the last two seasons, Italiano has taken Fiorentina to three Finals, losing the Coppa Italia and the Conference League in 2023.