De Gea’s Honest Reflection After Fiorentina’s Loss

David De Gea provided a candid evaluation following Fiorentina’s heavy 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park, making the upcoming second leg of the Conference League quarter-final appear overwhelmingly challenging for the Viola at Stadio Franchi next week.

A Tough Night for Fiorentina

It was a destructive match for Paolo Vanoli’s squad, which allowed Crystal Palace to take a solid lead in the first half before they began to recover. However, they were stung by a late third goal during stoppage time, something De Gea acknowledged could have been prevented.

“The third goal is particularly painful,” the experienced goalkeeper stated in an interview. “Conceding right at the end from a cross was too easy for them. But that’s football; you must stay focused for the entire 90 minutes.”

Despite the daunting situation, De Gea remained hopeful about the second leg, even though he conceded the extent of the task ahead.

“It seems difficult, but it’s not beyond reach,” he expressed. “We have to achieve something remarkable and win 3-0 at the Franchi.”

He further noted that the final score didn’t fully reflect the game, highlighting a strong performance in the second half and several missed opportunities as evidence that the match could have had a different outcome.

“I believe if we had converted just one of our chances, it would have changed everything. Instead, we ended up conceding a third goal.”

Contextualizing the Performance

De Gea aimed to place the recent results in the context of a season marked by difficulties for Fiorentina.

“We must bear in mind that three months ago, we were in grave trouble.” He continued, “The team has improved in Serie A, though it might not seem so. The progress we’ve made from our previous situation is significant. We haven’t achieved anything yet, and there’s still much to do.”

When asked about the disparity between Serie A and the Premier League, particularly after Fiorentina’s 3-0 loss and Bologna’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the same night, De Gea spoke frankly yet thoughtfully.

“The Premier League is certainly ahead of Serie A, largely due to greater financial backing, superior infrastructure, and effective management. However, apart from those initial 20-30 minutes when we were poorly set up and conceded two goals, I believe we played well and deserved to score tonight.”