David De Gea offered a candid assessment following Fiorentina’s significant 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The result leaves the Italian side with a formidable challenge in the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie at the Stadio Franchi.
It was a difficult evening for Paolo Vanoli’s team. After conceding an early advantage to Crystal Palace in the first half-hour, they began to find their rhythm, only to concede a third goal deep into added time. De Gea admitted that this final goal was entirely preventable.
“The third goal stings,” the experienced goalkeeper told Sky Sport Italia. “To concede in the last minute from a cross was far too easy for them. But this is football; you have to maintain concentration for the full 95 minutes.”
Despite the daunting scoreline, De Gea expressed a glimmer of hope for the return leg, acknowledging the magnitude of the task ahead.
“It looks difficult, but not impossible,” he stated. “We need to do something extraordinary, win 3-0, and we have everything to play for at the Franchi.”
However, he felt the scoreline did not accurately reflect the game, highlighting Fiorentina’s improved second-half performance and missed opportunities, suggesting the tie could have unfolded very differently.
“I believe if we had converted just one of our chances, everything would have changed. We didn’t, and instead, we conceded a third.”
De Gea: ‘Three Months Ago We Were in Serious Trouble’
True to his nature, De Gea was keen to place the result in the context of Fiorentina’s challenging season.
“We must remember that three months ago, we were in serious trouble,” he said. “The team is performing better in Serie A. While it may not seem like it, overcoming the situation we were in is quite an achievement. We haven’t secured anything yet and still have work to do domestically.”
When questioned about the perceived gap between Serie A and the Premier League, considering Fiorentina’s 3-0 loss and Bologna’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on the same night, De Gea provided a measured response.
“The Premier League is ahead of Serie A, but they also possess significantly more financial resources, better infrastructure, and operate very effectively,” he explained. “However, aside from those initial 20-30 minutes, where our approach was incorrect and we conceded two goals, I believe we played well and deserved to score tonight.”
