Palladino stresses importance of defensive shape after ‘complicated’ Milan game | OneFootball

Raffaele Palladino shed some light on the instructions that he gave to his Fiorentina side that helped them win a ‘complicated’ game against AC Milan.

It was a dramatic game at the Stadio Artemio Franchi with three goals, three missed penalties and a red card. Fiorentina missed the chance to take the lead as Mike Maignan saved Moise Kean’s spot kick, but then they did get the opener through the Milan loanee Yacine Adli in the first half.

Milan then missed two penalties before drawing level, with David De Gea saving from Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham, but Christian Pulisic’s volley made it 1-1. However, Albert Gudmundsson would strike off the bench to earn all three points for La Viola.

Palladino spoke to DAZN after the game in his post-match press conference to analyse what was a positive night for his side and a big three points, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

What did you think of Gudmundsson’s performance?

“He is a champion. He is very important for us, he arrived here late in the transfer window. He had some muscular problems, we didn’t have him right away. He still has to find his best form, he is a great footballer, unpredictable, he also sacrifices himself for his teammates. We enjoy him, just as we enjoy these victories.”

More Stories / The Match

Palladino stresses importance of defensive shape after ‘complicated’ Milan game

7 October 2024, 16:20

GdS: Stolen balls and broken hierarchies – the questions that arise after penalty farce

7 October 2024, 15:55

Montolivo questions decision to stick with ‘4-2-4’ system: “I don’t see a team with balance”

7 October 2024, 15:30

And Moise Kean?

“Usually strikers live on joy, goals and emotions. When you miss a penalty you can get down, but after the penalty he continued to fight for the team. He showed great quality, he was the emblem of the whole team.

“He is doing very well, when he hit the crossbar at the end you can see his physical power: he has a lot of room for improvement, we are very happy with what he is doing for us.”

What did you tell your team about defensive shape?

“I liked the team spirit today, they defended with courage and quality. Playing against this Milan is complicated, they put Inter and Bayer Leverkusen in difficulty. I liked the whole team, it is an important aspect. Defending together gives you great human values.

“Today in Serie A you cannot afford to have 2-3 players who do not defend. Obviously we can improve, we can improve: I am convinced that the team can grow a lot in terms of play. We are recovering all the players, we needed a team victory like this, with great emotion.”

Who is the penalty taker?

“The first is Gundmundsson, the second is Kean. But today I understand the unity of the group, in the locker room they joked among themselves. Among men then you talk to each other and you have to be human on certain occasions, they were good at doing it.”