The chief threat Fiorentina will face when they take on Cremonese on Monday evening is David Nicola's front two.

In the first half of the season, Cremonese's attack was centered around Federico Bonazzoli and Jamie Vardy, with the Anglo-Italian partnership scoring 11 of the team's 22 goals so far. The January signing of veteran Milan Djuric has added an extra layer to Cremonese's offensive options, but although the names may rotate, the basic tactical approach remains the same.

Fielding two strikers is a somewhat old school – some might say romantic – approach. It simplifies the team's build-up play and boils down to a physical and psychological battle between two forwards and two central defenders, with a lot of density through the middle.

Bonazzoli's versatility is the real key to Nicola's tactics. The No.90 is not just a finisher but also a useful link-up man. Fiorentina brings back fond memories for him: it was against the Viola, while playing for Sampdoria, that he scored his first Serie A goal in 2019. 

The 28-year-old has developed his game since then and demonstrated the range of arsenal at his disposal with goals like those against Genoa and Milan. However, his ability to win second balls and lay off for team-mates makes him an adaptable attacking partner. 

With Djuric he operates as a second striker, feeding off the knock-downs from the big Bosnian, while with Vardy he is more of a playmaker – as seen in Cremonese's 3-1 win over Bologna, when Bonazzoli teed up the Englishman for a finish reminiscent of the peak Vardy from his Leicester days. 

On Monday Paolo Vanoli will need to find a way to stifle Cremonese's attacking duo regardless of who Nicola picks.