Deportivo holds its own against Fiorentina in friendly

Deportivo came away alive from a tough friendly against Fiorentina, who according to Sport recently drew with Real Madrid. The Galician side had a hard time in the first half, where their opponents dominated them physically and tactically, especially in the air. Ndour opened the scoring with a fine volley in which there could have been a foul beforehand, and Deportivo's defence barely found relief from the Italian barrage.

The introduction of Villares for Noé at the start of the second half changed the balance. Deportivo began to compete better and Quagliata created danger down the wing, coming close with a header that hit the post. Fiorentina remained dominant in several phases, but the Galicians gradually created chances until, in the final stages, Hidalgo brought on his most attacking team.

That's when the 1-1 came. High pressure forced an Italian error that led to an indirect free kick, and after a rebound, Bil finished to level. A match that shows Deportivo's fledgling project needs defensive reinforcements to face the competition that kicks off on August 17th at Riazor with confidence.