Fiorentina vs. Tottenham: Winners and Losers from Europa League
Fiorentina and Tottenham Hotspur played to a 1-1 draw on Thursday in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 clash.
Spurs opened the scoring by way of a Nacer Chadli penalty, while Fiorentina equalized through a Federico Bernardeschi strike in the 59th minute.
The visitors from north London controlled the first half, but they let the hosts dictate the pace of the match after they leveled the game at a goal apiece.
Mauricio Pochettino's men enter the second leg at White Hart Lane next Thursday with a slight advantage because of their away goal, but nothing is settled yet in the rematch of last year's round-of-32 contest.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from the 1-1 draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Winner: Nacer Chadli
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Nacer Chadli provided Tottenham with a vital away goal in the 37th minute as he slotted home a penalty into the left side of the net.
The penalty capped off a first half in which Spurs controlled the possession battle but failed to consistently fire attempts at the Fiorentina net.
In addition to scoring his fifth goal in seven games across all competitions, Chadli was active moving forward throughout the match and stood out more than his colleagues in attack.
With the tie leveled at one goal apiece heading into next week's second leg in north London, Spurs are in a good position to advance because of the away goal earned in Florence on Thursday night.
Loser: Nenad Tomovic
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Nenad Tomovic's tackle on Ben Davies in the 37th minute may turn out to be a crucial play in the two-legged fixture.
The clumsy challenge by the 28-year-old Serbian allowed Chadli to step to the spot and finish off Tottenham's opener eight minutes before half-time.
Fiorentina recovered from the mistake with an equalizer in the second half, but the away goal conceded in the first half looms large as the two sides head back to White Hart Lane.
With Tottenham in the middle of an incredible run of form at the moment, it may be hard for Fiorentina to break the deadlock in the second leg. If that is the case, the away goal conceded by Tomovic may decide who advances to the round of 16.
Winner: Federico Bernardeschi
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Call it a brilliant strike from distance or one that received a lucky bounce, but however you describe Federico Bernardeschi's 59th-minute goal, it must be seen as a crucial one for Fiorentina.
The No. 10 put the Viola on level terms with Spurs when his shot from distance struck the boot of Ryan Mason and flew over the outstretched arms of Michel Vorm.
The tally handed Fiorentina a nice boost as the hosts surged forward with purpose in the 10 minutes following the goal. However, the Viola were unable to capitalize on the pressure.
If Bernardeschi exhibits the same confidence he displayed in the second half on Thursday at White Hart Lane in a week's time, the Viola have a chance of earning a victory on the road.
Loser: Son Heung-Min
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With Harry Kane out of the starting 11, Spurs had to find someone to produce in the final third. Son Heung-Min was one of the players tasked with that challenge, but he failed to deliver over 68 minutes.
The South Korean striker recorded just one shot on 30 touches, per WhoScored, and was lifted for Kane in the 68th minute with Spurs chasing the win and another vital away tally.
The disappointing showing from the 23-year-old extended his scoreless streak to six matches across all competitions. Looking further back, he only has one goal in 11 appearances since the calendar flipped to 2016.
With an unreliable Son currently on his roster, it wouldn't be a total surprise if Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino opts to replace him in the starting 11 for the second leg.
Winner: Ben Davies
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Both sides implemented an attacking strategy that featured their full-backs moving forward to open space at the Artemio Franchi.
Although Fiorentina's Marcos Alonso was found in the final third more, Tottenham's Ben Davies made a bigger impact during the times he made an appearance on the left wing.
Unlike Alonso, Davies had plenty of meaningful touches and wasted few opportunities during a 15-minute stretch in the first half in which the 22-year-old was a constant figure on the left flank. Thanks to his persistence, Davies earned a penalty in the 37th minute, when he cut inside from his position on the wing.
In addition to winning a penalty, Davies had a solid night in defense as he limited the chances created by Jakub Blaszczykowski. Substitutes Nikola Kalinic, Milan Badelj and Matias Vecino all found it hard to break through the Tottenham back four as the hosts searched for a valuable second strike.
In order to advance into the next round, Davies and the rest of the Spurs defense must stand firm as Fiorentina attack them from all angles in the second leg.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
