STATS CRUNCH: Fiorentina's amazing numbers
This despite racking up six wins and playing the kind of football that has every Serie A fan excited, let alone the Gigliati faithful. And yet, with the table-topping trip to the San Paolo (Saturday 14:00 BST) enough to bring the scepticism out from underneath the floorboards, the Viola’s numbers so give their fans reason to be hopeful.
As analysed by Roma, Fiorentina have racked up 58 points in the 2015 calendar year, more than Napoli, Roma… and even Juventus, who have been let down by their unconvincing start to the season.
Paulo Sousa’s men are first in Italy because they score a lot and concede little, and have carried on this form in Europe despite a number of changes. So far, Fiorentina have scored 19 goals and conceded 5 in all competitions.
The Franchi has been nothing but a fortress, too: Milan, Genoa, Bologna and Atalanta haven’t just fallen here, they’ve failed to score, too.
Oddly enough, the only team to take points away from Florence this season is… Basel (2-1), who were victorious in their Europa League opener. However, Sousa’s charges have recovered from both this season’s reverses - the other being their trip to Giampiero Ventura’s Torino – another novelty for the Tuscan side.
Even better, the Gigliati have yet to concede a first half goal, proof that the team starts games as it finishes them. Their 4-1 humbling of Inter Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza remains the highlight of their season, and a clear statement of intent.
G.S.
