Tottenham vs. Fiorentina: Winners and Losers from Europa League Game
Tottenham Hotspur failed to make the most of their early pressure, slumping to a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg on Thursday night.
Roberto Soldado's excellent volley put Spurs ahead early on, but then the hero turned culprit, dragging his marker down just outside his own box to allow a set-piece goal for Jose Balanta.
Here are our winners and losers from White Hart Lane.
Winner: Vincenzo Montella, Whose 2nd-Half Adjustment Levelled the Battle
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Vincenzo Montella, once revered as an up-and-coming tactician, set up his team all wrong in the first half. Manuel Pasqual was overrun, the 3-5-2 failed to combat Spurs' pressing and shape and the Viola were lucky not to be four down after half an hour.
But credit where credit is due: The Italian tweaked the system and switched to a 4-3-3 in the second half, giving his side the upper hand.
The Fiorentina manager commented on the adjustment, via WhoScored's Ben McAleer:
"Montella: In the second half, we turned things around. A fair result. We enjoyed it. Return game going to be an open game.
— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) February 19, 2015"
Joaquin provided Pasqual cover on the left, Stefan Savic played well at right-back and the team quelled Andros Townsend's constant threat. A more regular midfield look in the centre allowed them to play out from the back far more efficiently too.
Loser: Manuel Pasqual, Who Got Schooled by Andros Townsend
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This genuinely is the sort of beating that can haunt a player and affect his form for months.
Andros Townsend repeatedly skinned the 32-year-old Manuel Pasqual until Vincenzo Montella replaced the struggling player with Marcos Alonso midway through the second half. It was without a doubt one of the toughest nights the veteran has ever experienced.
To make matters worse, Alonso played just fine, even galloping forward with regularity to influence the final third where he found Mohamed Salah with one excellent low cross.
Food for thought for Vincenzo Montella.
Winner: Mohamed Salah, Who Reminded England of His Promise
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Mohamed Salah did an excellent job of proving to England he's a good player. He barely got the chance to shine at Chelsea, and some may view him as an expensive flop. But here his agility, speed and final-third threat were all on show.
He started up front just off Mario Gomez and played the second half from the right flank. He was at his most dangerous picking up loose balls outside the box and driving forward to create or shoot. He worried the Spurs defence all evening.
Loser: Paulinho, Who Put in Another Anonymous Showing
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Paulinho swung in some strong deliveries from corners, testing the Fiorentina defence's ability to deal with aerial balls, but that was his sole positive input.
Largely, the Brazilian was anonymous once again. Ryan Mason replaced him in the second half to shore up the midfield, and the general reaction from the crowd is accurately summarised by the following tweet:
"Paulinho was playing?!
— tehTrunk (@tehTrunk) February 19, 2015"
He plays too slowly and too safe. In an alternate reality, he's the star man in Paul Lambert's midfield.
Winner: Andros Townsend, Who Shone
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Andros Townsend tormented left-wing-back Manuel Pasqual throughout the match.
The English speedster was afforded some room when playing against the 3-5-2 and was often one-on-one with the aging Italian defender; most of Spurs' good work came from Townsend's side, and he fizzed several dangerous balls across the box, including the one Nacer Chadli hit the bar from.
For someone like Townsend, this is an audition. He, Erik Lamela, Chadli and Co. are all vying for one spot on the wing opposite Christian Eriksen, and this performance will go a long way toward winning favour with Mauricio Pochettino.
