Maurizio Sarri explained his tactical decisions against Fiorentina and why using four Juventus strikers “would sacrifice their characteristics.”
A pair of Cristiano Ronaldo penalties and a late Matthijs de Ligt header sealed the 3-0 result in Turin.
“It was a difficult match, because Fiorentina were unbeaten in Serie A in 2020,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
Maurizio Sarri explained his tactical decisions against Fiorentina and why using four Juventus strikers “would sacrifice their characteristics.”
A pair of Cristiano Ronaldo penalties and a late Matthijs de Ligt header sealed the 3-0 result in Turin.
“It was a difficult match, because Fiorentina were unbeaten in Serie A in 2020,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“I used Douglas Costa because I knew that the Viola tried to block up the spaces in midfield and hoped he would stretch them out a little bit. In terms of energy, we weren’t very consistent, but the objective must be to do that far more in future.
“Douglas Costa brings width and creates scoring opportunities, but in my view he is not yet physically fit. When he does reach his peak, then we’ll see him really make the difference.
“Leaving Paulo Dybala out is practically blasphemy, but we have so many strong attacking players and can’t use them all at once. The balance of the team is essential and against Fiorentina, Gonzalo Higuain was more useful.
“If we were to use all four together, it would end up sacrificing many of the positive characteristics of these players. For example, it’d be a waste to use Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing.”