In a recent friendly match against Nottingham Forest, Italian club Fiorentina played out a 0-0 draw, despite arguably creating the more significant scoring opportunities. A notable moment saw Fiorentina`s Dodo strike the crossbar, highlighting their offensive efforts.
This fixture marked the continuation of the Viola`s pre-season tour in the United Kingdom, following a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City. For this encounter in Nottingham, manager Stefano Pioli opted for a considerably stronger starting lineup, signalling his intent for a more competitive showing.
Before the match commenced, a touching gesture took place as Nikola Milenkovic, a former Fiorentina defender now with Nottingham Forest, was presented with a jersey by his old club, acknowledging his past contributions.
Early in the game, Nottingham Forest`s goalkeeper, David De Gea, was forced into an important save to thwart Dan Ndoye, the former Bologna winger, who was making his debut for Forest. This early test showed De Gea`s readiness.
Fiorentina`s Cher Ndour also tested the opposition goalkeeper from a corner, demonstrating their attacking variety. Later, a major double chance arose when Moise Kean`s powerful shot required a desperate save, and the subsequent rebound from Dodo unfortunately hit the crossbar, denying Fiorentina a potential lead.
Throughout the game, Pioli’s team tactically shifted between a 3-4-1-2 and a 3-4-2-1 formation, adapting to the flow of play. They had a prime opportunity to secure a late victory, but Matz Sels, the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, made an exceptional save to parry Braschi`s header, ensuring the clean sheet for his side.
Match Result: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fiorentina
Team Lineups:
- Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams (Morato 72), Murillo (Carmo 72), Milenkovic, Cunha (Yates 65); Hudson-Odoi (Sangaré 65), Anderson (Jota 65), Gibbs-White (Boly 65), Ndoye (Abbott 65); Igor Jesus (Awoniyi 72), Wood (Stamenic 72)
- Fiorentina: De Gea; Comuzzo (Sabiri 74), Pongracic (Fortini 74), Ranieri (Braschi 74); Dodo (Kouadio 74), Fagioli (Parisi 74), Ndour, Gosens (Fazzini 74); Gudmundsson (Viti 74); Dzeko (Pablo Mari 74), Kean (Richardson 74)