Pre-matchVincenzo Italiano didn’t change his XI at all from the big win over Genoa aside from Dodô replacing Michael Kayode, clearly prioritizing continuity over freshness. The real story, though, was the heat inside the Allianz Stadion: the temperature got past 30°C/90°F, which is extremely unpleasant to play in. First halfRapid Wien set out much as we all expected: a deep, compact block in two banks of 4, denying Fiorentina any space in behind. What was interesting was that they pressed higher than anticipated, forcing Fiorentina into more long passes than usual. A shell-shocked Fiorentina mustered no response and nearly conceded again, so the break certainly came at the right time.

Source: The Nation August 24, 2023 19:45 UTC