Fiorentina coach, Vicenzo Montella says he has been impressed by striker Mohamed Salah’s performance, following his match-winner against Inter Milan.
The Viola claimed their first win at Inter in 15 years on Sunday with the Egyptian striker- a first-half substitute- scoring the only goal of the match in the 55th minute.
Salah joined the Italian Serie A side on loan from Chelsea during the mid-season transfer market and has scored in his last three matches, including the 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Uefa Europa League on Thursday.
“I wanted to make the most of Salah’s extraordinary form that is why I chose him ahead of Alberto Gilardino,” Montella told the Italian press.
“I know that when a player is going through that kind of form, it’s the duty of a coach to encourage it.
“I think he can play any position in attack. He attacks the space well and is very good at getting straight into the tempo of a game when coming off the bench.”
Fiorentina managed to scrape their 11th win of the season, despite finishing with nine men at the Estadio Guisepe Meaza after Nenad Tomovic and Stefan Savic were stretchered off. The 49-year-old tactician was impressed by his team’s organisation, especially in the closing stages of the game.
“We won against Inter in a heroic manner,” Montella said. “We were in numerical inferiority but there was great sacrifice shown by my team and for this, I believe this victory is well deserved. We are truly satisfied.
“For long periods we held the initiative against an Inter side that was in great shape. The team left the pitch like heroes, as everyone had to work hard.”
The win leaves the Viola in fifth place on the Serie A standings, one point adrift of their next opponent Lazio. They travel to Turin to face Juventus in Thursday’s first-leg semi-fiinal of the Coppa Italia hoping to maintain their unbeaten run since 6 January.
