All issues thought-about, Fiorentina followers have had much more issues to cry about than to smile about this season. With 13 video games left, La Viola occupy the relegation zone and discover themselves on observe to descend to Serie B for the primary time since 2004, with the Tuscany aspect at present sitting six factors above Pisa and Hellas Verona and three away from security. However, for the primary time all season, they’ve strung collectively back-to-back victories, having gained 2-1 at Como earlier than demolishing Jagiellonia Białystok 3-0 in Poland. In doing so, they killed two birds with one stone, all however securing their spot in the UEFA Conference League Round of 16 and permitting them to place all of their power into their upcoming match in opposition to Pisa.
If Fiorentina are to eke out the victory in their upcoming relegation six-pointer, they’ll want Rolando Mandragora to be at his sensible finest. As against the overwhelming majority of his teammates, Mandragora has not suffered a pointy downturn in his particular person kind this season; as an alternative, he’s led by instance and established himself as a significant cog in midfield. Despite not working in an attacking function, the 28-year-old ranks second in Fiorentina’s squad for targets (6) and aim contributions (7) in Serie A behind ex-Juventus teammate Moise Kean, while he additionally ranks second for whole photographs per sport (2.0), and third for scoring frequency (aim each 299 minutes) and key passes per sport (1.0).
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Mandragora seems to be set to play a necessary function as Fiorentina search to stave off the drop and ensure their spot in Serie A, however he’s additionally primed to assist La Viola pursue yet one more deep run in the UEFA Conference League. Since becoming a member of in 2022, Mandragora has steered Fiorentina to the ultimate in 2023 and 2024 and the semifinals in 2025, and there’s motive to imagine that he may very properly assist them put an finish to a 25-year drought. Indeed, while Thursday’s victory in Poland might very properly have been a much-needed improved efficiency for fairly a number of Fiorentina gamers, for Mandragora, it was merely one other day on the workplace.
Jagiellonia had been in a position to rattle Fiorentina’s cage and dominate the early proceedings, and it appeared it was solely a matter of time earlier than they broke the impasse. But while Fiorentina bent, they by no means broke thanks in massive half to Mandragora, who set the tone early on for his work out of possession. Whether it was stretching out a foot to forestall a go from reaching its desired goal, or anticipating a shot and stepping up with a significant clearance, Mandragora was in a position to impose himself in a variety of methods. And though he conceded two fouls in the primary quarter-hour and obtained booked earlier than the interval, he however led by instance on and off the ball, continually scanning the pitch and shifting from contributing to the press, shifting horizontally to shut down open area, and dropping into defensive roles and providing an additional hand on the again. We can see an instance of this in the twentieth minute, when after diligently monitoring his man, he strikes up earlier than gently backing away and awaiting his transfer. Just as he goes to finish a step-over, Mandragora steps in and whacks the ball out of hazard.
Fiorentina’s first likelihood got here in the twenty fourth minute as Mandragora dialed in a tempting free kick in direction of Robin Gosens, who headed north. Their subsequent alternative got here 14 minutes later as Mandragora, after intensely marking his man and lecturing his teammates about the place to place themselves, determined to placed on the afterburners and pressure a giveaway on the midway line. Whilst Jagiellonia instantly recovered possession, they promptly coughed it up once more as Fiorentina congested numbers across the field and rotated the ball round earlier than finally discovering Mandragora, who allowed the ball to roll onto his left earlier than carving out an exquisite cross to Giovanni Fabian, who then fired a tepid volley into Sławomir Abramowicz’s grasp.
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The momentum lastly swung in Fiorentina’s favor in the 53rd minute as Luca Ranieri headed house from a nook kick. Buoyed by their raucous house assist, Jagiellonia responded with wave after wave of strain, however Fiorentina held agency due to their captain with out an armband, who helped to direct his teammates to the place they need to go and transfer to, and who continually had his head on a swivel to identify which areas wanted plugging. And in the sixty fifth minute, he stepped up and executed a lethal free kick into the highest left nook.
You may decide Manuel Neuer, Lev Yashin, or some other goalkeeper in the historical past of the game, you may inform them precisely the place the shot was going – they nonetheless would haven’t any technique of stopping it. But whereas Mandragora stole the present together with his first-class supply, it was his soiled work off the ball that actually proved important for the outcome. Like right here, when after noticing his teammate has pushed ahead, he pulls in direction of the byline and holds his floor earlier than calmly intercepting the go together with his chest and rapidly dishing it off to a different purple shirt. He took a sore one to his again for his troubles, however he’d do it one other 1,000 occasions if it meant stopping a possible scoring alternative.
But whereas he stood out due to his capability to place out fires and forestall them earlier than they began, he additionally marvelled due to his wand of a left foot. Similar to different gamers like Emmanuel Gyasi, he has a way of understanding what to do with the ball earlier than it even arrives at his laces. He barely had any time to know the ball earlier than carving by way of the hosts’ protection like a knife by way of butter and teeing up an unmarked Fabiano Parisi, who ventured ahead to create a scoring likelihood that finally didn’t materialize.
Mandragora continued to supply readability in possession and maintain his nerve, be that spraying the ball round with ease or clearing photographs out of his personal field with energy and precision, and even after Roberto Piccoli added a 3rd from the penalty spot, he by no means let his guard down. Instead, he dug his heels in and defended the outcome as if his life relied on it, serving to Fiorentina safe their first clear sheet since October 23. All issues thought-about, Mandragora registered three key passes and accomplished every of his three cross makes an attempt, registered two photographs, and made 10 defensive contributions en path to a Man of the Match efficiency. He additionally made three tackles, 4 clearances, 4 recoveries, and gained seven of his 9 duels, and out of his 49 touches, solely 3 had been unsuccessful.
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Rolando Mandragora has already confirmed himself as an indispensable determine in each home and worldwide competitors for Fiorentina, however now, can he assist Fiorentina decide up their first house win since January 4?