Vincenzo Montella has warned his Fiorentina team to expect a tough test as they travel to the Stadio Bentegodi to take on Hellas Verona on Sunday afternoon.
“It’ll be a really physical battle tomorrow because Verona are a really compact side whose strengths are their hard work, their running and their team spirit,” said the Viola boss in his pre-match press conference on Saturday. “They’re very well organised from a tactical perspective and have the second-best defensive record in the league. They’re definitely the surprise package of the season, alongside Cagliari, especially given the fact that they’re a newly promoted side. We’ll need to ensure we are as competitive and focused as possible.”
Yet Montella was keen to stress that Verona are more than just a good defensive team.
“They are strong in defence because they all defend,” he said. “In their last game they came out and pressed Inter on the edge of their box. They’re a very good counter-attacking side so for us it will be essential that we maintain our focus throughout the game.”
The Fiorentina coach went on to acknowledge that the Viola must raise their game to bounce back from the 5-2 defeat at Cagliari just before the international break.
“It was a heavy defeat, not just in terms of the scoreline but also in terms of the performance throughout the game,” he said. “The team has shown desire and we know we need to make sure our performance is right. On the one hand, we need to forget that game and kick on, because this is a new cycle of matches, but on the other we need to remember it so we don’t make the same mistakes again in terms of performance, mentality or whatever you want to call it. Technical and tactical factors came into it too, but those were a consequence of that.
Franck Ribery will return for the trip to Hellas following his suspension – but Montella was quick to dismiss any suggestions that his team are becoming dependent on the French winger.
“Ribery has been a big absence for us but he would have been for any team,” he said. “I think it did him good because he had a few knocks and now he is in good shape. We can’t use it as an excuse when he or anyone else is missing.”
Last but not least, Montella had a message for the Fiorentina supporters, who are expected to be at the Bentegodi in numbers to support the team on Sunday afternoon.
“We want to thank the fans,” he said. “They always make their support felt, even in the last game, which was a tough away trip. They were great after the game – we feel that support and we want to repay them every time we play.”
Published: Sun, 24 Nov 2019 09:55:00 +0100
Source: Fiorentina Official website en.violachannel.tv