Warsaw moves away. Very much for Fiorentina, demolished by Sevilla with a 3-0 that smacks of a sentence, just enough to be scary for Napoli, stopped on a 1-1 draw at the San Paolo against Dnipro. We had deluded ourselves that we could play in the Europa League with an all-Italian final, but on May 27th we risk not being there at all. Of course, the situations for the Viola and the Azzurri are decidedly different: if the former will need a real miracle to pass, the latter have all the credentials to clear Kiev. A bitter taste remains in the mouth due to two too severe results, both for Pizjuan and San Paolo.
Fiorentina in fact, beyond the usual defensive amnesias, would have deserved to score at least one goal, while Napoli, in addition to the usual waste in front of goal, recriminated for the draw by the Ukrainians in clear offside. “I don't know what to think, maybe the cup has already been awarded to Sevilla?! – yelled De Laurentiis at the press conference. – I'm addressing Platini directly: why do you want to be disliked by the Neapolitan fans? Is it possible that, in a semifinal of such an important tournament, referees like this are sent? The Uefa president is not able to manage things, he has no credibility ”.
Very harsh words, on which, moreover, the highest European football body could take action. Beyond De Laurentiis' outburst, there remains a serious referee error that risks distorting the semifinal. In fact, Napoli conceded only one shot on goal, that of Seleznyov which brought Dnipro to a draw (81'). Before (and after) it was a blue monologue, made up of many chances (some badly wasted) and only one goal, that of David Lopez, who did well at the near post for the momentary 1-0 (50'). “You have all seen what happened – Benitez's bitter comment. – But now we need to think about the second leg, we already showed in Wolfsburg that we know how to score away”.
But if Napoli still have reasonable hopes of the final, this is not the case for Fiorentina. Only a miracle, in fact, would allow the Viola to overturn the 3-0 in Seville, a very heavy and almost irremediable result. “But I believe in it – replied Montella. – If they scored us 3 goals why can't we do the same too? The result penalized us more than necessary, we played a great first half and we deserved to score. We must not give up, we will also need our audience”.
Courageous words which, however, on balance, seem more desperate than anything else. Fiorentina showed, for the umpteenth time, all its contradictions: a beautiful and maneuvered game but an end in itself. Because this team lacks a true centre-forward, one like Bayern's Mario Gomez, not the faded copy seen in Florence in the last two years. And if the problems in the offensive phase are added to those of the rearguard, the game, unfortunately, is done. Sevilla struck after just 17', also from the Viola brand: counterattack action on the Reyes-Bacca axis, assist for Aleix Vidal and 1-0.
The good reaction of the guests didn't lead to a draw, also due to the referee who didn't see a hold on Salah in the box (it would be a penalty, but maybe the Egyptian went offside). And in the second half the Florentine castle definitively collapsed. First Vidal (52', brace for him), then Gameiro (75', the Frenchman had been on the pitch for 28 seconds!) paved the way for Sevilla, who are now really close to the final in Warsaw. We dreamed of it being all Italian, it will hardly be like this. Unless, next Thursday, the gods of football, so ruthless yesterday, don't give us a hand. Only they, in fact, seem able to perform the miracle.
