In a true European shock, Fiorentina left London completely devastated, defeated 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, in a loss that severely complicates the Italians’ aspirations in the Conference League. Goalkeeper David De Gea, always frank and direct, did not hide his frustration but maintained hope for the second leg, which seems almost impossible.
The match started in the worst possible way for Paolo Vanoli’s team, who gave Crystal Palace a lethal start, conceding two goals in the first 30 minutes. Although they managed to level the play afterwards, Fiorentina could not turn the tide and ended up conceding a third goal in stoppage time, a mistake that De Gea described as “totally avoidable.”
“That third goal hurts a lot. Conceding a goal in the last minute, from a cross, was too easy for them. But this is football; we have to stay focused for 95 minutes,” the Spaniard stated in remarks to Sky Sport Italia.
Despite the heavy disadvantage, De Gea has not let his morale drop and believes that a miraculous turnaround is still possible: “It seems difficult, but not impossible. We have to do something incredible, win 3-0 at the Franchi. Everything is still open for the second leg.”
The experienced goalkeeper also emphasized that the result was ultimately too generous for the English side, highlighting a second half in which Fiorentina created several clear opportunities that could have changed the outcome of the match: “If we had taken one of our chances, everything would have been different. But we didn’t, and we ended up conceding the third goal.”
In this delicate moment of the season, De Gea recalled the difficult path the team has faced: “We cannot forget that three months ago we were in serious trouble. The team is improving in the Serie A, it may not seem like it, but getting out of that situation was something impressive. We haven’t achieved anything yet, and we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Regarding the difference between the Premier League and Serie A, especially after Bologna’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the same night, De Gea was straightforward but realistic: “The Premier League is a step ahead of Serie A, they have more money, better infrastructure, and they do everything very well. But apart from those first 20-30 minutes, where we had the wrong approach and conceded two goals, I think we played well and deserved to score.”
The challenge is set for Fiorentina, who will need to show a true revolution next week at the Stadio Franchi to continue dreaming of the semi-finals of the Conference League. The defeat in London was decisive, but the fight is far from over – and De Gea promises that the team will give everything to turn the historical situation around. The pressure is high, and the Italian stadium could be the stage for the biggest European surprise of the season.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
