Post Match: Fiorentina 3-0 Juventus – Fagioli dominates as Old Lady sinks
Fiorentina vs Juventus
Nicolò Fagioli emerged as Football Italia’s Man of the Match in Fiorentina’s commanding 3-0 victory over Juventus at the Stadio Franchi, a performance that not only showcased his individual brilliance but also served as a stinging rebuke to his former club and their beleaguered manager, Thiago Motta, whose tenure now hangs by an increasingly fragile thread. Fagioli, who once donned the black-and-white of Juventus, turned the game on its head with a masterful display in midfield, dictating play with a poise and precision that left his old teammates floundering in his wake, while providing two assists—aptly dubbed the "assists dell’ex"—for Rolando Mandragora and Albert Gudmundsson, both of whom capitalized on his vision to bury Juventus deeper into their misery. The Stadio Franchi, bathed in the purple haze of Fiorentina’s fervent support, bore witness to a demolition that was as much about tactical supremacy as it was about personal redemption for Fagioli, who seized the opportunity to prove a point to Motta, the man who had overseen his departure from Turin. Rated an 8 by Football Italia, Fagioli’s performance was the standout in a Fiorentina side that clicked seamlessly under Raffaele Palladino’s guidance, winning duels across the pitch, adapting effortlessly to Juventus’ predictable patterns, and punishing them with lethal counter-attacks that exposed the fragility at the heart of the visitors’ setup. For Fiorentina, this was a statement win, a display of cohesion and intent that propelled them further up the Serie A table, while for Juventus, it was yet another chapter in a spiraling narrative of decline, with questions mounting over Motta’s ability to arrest the slide and restore the Old Lady to her former glory.
Fiorentina’s dominance was reflected in the player ratings, with Fagioli’s 8 leading a cast of impressive performances orchestrated by Palladino, who earned a well-deserved 7.5 for a game plan executed to perfection, blending defensive solidity with devastating attacking thrust. David De Gea, stationed between the posts, earned a 6 for a relatively quiet afternoon, his presence more a deterrent than a necessity as Juventus failed to test him meaningfully, while the backline of Marin Pongracic (7), Pablo Mari (6.5), and Luca Ranieri (6.5, replaced by Comuzzo late on) stood firm, thwarting Juventus’ tepid forays forward with a mixture of physicality and composure. Dodò and Robin Gosens, both rated 7.5, terrorized Juventus down the flanks, their relentless energy pinning back the opposition and creating space for the midfield to flourish, where Danilo Cataldi (7.5, subbed off for Adli) and Mandragora (7) complemented Fagioli’s brilliance with tireless running and clinical finishing. Up top, Gudmundsson (7.5, replaced by Beltran) and Moise Kean (7, subbed for Zaniolo) were constant thorns in Juventus’ side, their movement and interplay slicing through a defense that crumbled under pressure. Palladino’s fingerprints were all over this performance, his team’s adaptability allowing them to cede possession—Juventus ended with over 60% of the ball—only to strike with ruthless efficiency on the break, a strategy that turned Juventus’ dominance of the ball into a hollow statistic, devoid of threat or purpose. The Viola’s victory was no fluke; it was the product of meticulous preparation and an unrelenting attitude, qualities that have made Palladino’s Fiorentina a force to be reckoned with this season, and one that Juventus, on this evidence, could not hope to match.
In stark contrast, Juventus’ ratings painted a grim picture of a team in disarray, with goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio’s 6 standing as the lone beacon of adequacy in a sea of mediocrity, his saves sparing his side an even more humiliating scoreline on a day when no outfield player rose to the occasion. The defense was a shambles, with Pierre Kalulu (5), Daniel Kelly (4, replaced by Gatti), and Gonçalo Veiga (4, subbed for Alberto Costa, who managed a 5) offering little resistance as Fiorentina carved them open with alarming ease, their softness at the back epitomized by the simplicity of the goals conceded—moments where the game was still within reach, yet slipped away due to a lack of resolve. The midfield, featuring Timothy Weah (4.5, replaced by Conceiçao), Teun Koopmeiners (4.5), Manuel Locatelli (4), Khephren Thuram (5), and Weston McKennie (4), was utterly overrun, a nonexistent entity that failed to impose itself on Fagioli and his cohorts, allowing Fiorentina to dictate the tempo and exploit the gaps with impunity. Up front, Nico Gonzalez (4, subbed for Cambiaso, who later gave way to Mbangula) and Randal Kolo Muani (4.5) were anonymous, the latter managing just 28 touches—none of which threatened De Gea’s goal—highlighting a forward line bereft of ideas or direction. Motta, rated a dismal 4, cut a forlorn figure on the touchline, hands buried in his pockets as his side floundered, their possession-heavy approach yielding nothing of substance, a recurring theme this season that has seen them dominate the ball only to falter when it matters most. With Juventus now languishing one point below fourth-placed Bologna, having conceded seven goals across their last two matches without reply, the pressure on Motta is reaching a boiling point, his body language mirroring a team that appears to have lost its way, leaving fans and pundits alike to wonder if he will survive the upcoming break to fight another day.
Fagioli’s heroics were the headline, but they were built on the foundation of Palladino’s tactical masterclass, a blueprint that saw Fiorentina not just compete with Juventus but dismantle them, turning the Stadio Franchi into a cauldron of celebration as the final whistle confirmed a 3-0 rout that felt both comprehensive and inevitable. The “assists dell’ex” were the moments of magic—first, a pinpoint pass to Mandragora, who rifled home to set the tone, and then a deft delivery for Gudmundsson, whose finish doubled the lead and effectively killed off any Juventus hopes of a comeback—but Fagioli’s influence extended far beyond those contributions, his dominance in midfield a constant thorn in the side of a Juventus outfit that had no answer for his blend of tenacity and technique. This was personal for Fagioli, a chance to show Motta and his former employers what they had let slip, and he seized it with both hands, driving Fiorentina forward with an authority that belied his years, his every touch laced with intent and purpose. For Palladino, the victory was a triumph of preparation, his decision to let Juventus have the ball a calculated gamble that paid off spectacularly as his side soaked up pressure and struck with venom, their counter-attacks slicing through Juventus like a hot knife through butter. The Viola’s unity was palpable, each player buying into the collective effort, winning duels and executing their roles to perfection, a stark contrast to a Juventus side that looked disjointed and demoralized, their expensively assembled squad reduced to a collection of individuals rather than a team.
For Juventus, this defeat was not an isolated stumble but a continuation of a troubling trend, a second consecutive loss without scoring that has seen them ship seven goals and drop crucial points in their pursuit of a Champions League spot, their season teetering on the edge of disaster as Motta’s project unravels before their eyes. The parallels with their previous week’s collapse against Atalanta were uncanny—Kelly and Veiga’s frailty at the back, the midfield’s inability to assert control, and Kolo Muani’s ineffectiveness up top all recurring sins that point to systemic issues rather than mere bad luck. Motta’s insistence on possession football has become a millstone, his team’s 60%-plus share of the ball a meaningless metric when it translates to zero shots on target and a defense that collapses under the slightest pressure, a pattern that has plagued them repeatedly this term. The fans, once buoyed by his appointment, are growing restless, their frustration palpable as they watch a side with such pedigree flounder against a Fiorentina team that, while impressive, should not have dispatched them with such ease. Motta’s demeanor—hands in pockets, head bowed—spoke volumes, a manager seemingly out of ideas as his players mirrored his despondency on the pitch, leaving Juventus at a crossroads with the international break looming, a period that could well determine whether he remains at the helm or becomes the latest casualty of a club in crisis. For Fiorentina, however, this was a night to savor, Fagioli’s star turn the centerpiece of a performance that underscored their growing stature, while for Juventus, it was a stark reminder of how far they have fallen, with the road ahead looking ever more treacherous.
