Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina: Gilardino Late Show Downs Reds

Liverpool v Fiorentina Line-up & stats

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Liverpool signed off Champions League duty with a 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina.

Yossi Benayoun’s first half header was cancelled out by Martin Jorgensen before Alberto GIlardino snatched the win in a dead rubber for Rafael Benitez's side.

Europa League football now awaits for the Reds after a disastrous  campaign that saw them fail to reach the knock-out stages.

Liverpool fans were treated to their first real glimpse of £20million man Alberto Aquilani, handed his first start by the Spaniard.

Benitez had urged patience with his big money signing but all eyes were on the Italian, with supporters hoping he could spark a frustrating season into life.

The Italian, signed from Roma to replace  Xabi Alonso, had only played 22 minutes of first team football since his summer switch but he had a hand in Liverpool’s first meaningful move of the match, with Dirk Kuyt unable to turn Andrea Dossena’s cross goalwards.

The match may have been a dead rubber for the home side but Fiorentina needed something from the game in order to the group, with Lyon at home to unfancied Debrecen.

Daniel Agger’s lazy backpass could have cost the Reds dear on ten minutes but stand-in keeper Diego Cavalieri was out to clear the danger under pressure from Mario Alberto Santana.

Liverpool settled into a steady rhythm but struggled to break down a solid Fiorentina rearguard, which boasts the joint best defensive record in Serie A this season.

Former Evertonian Per Kroldrup went down in the area under a heavy challenge on the half hour mark but referee Damir Skomina waved away the appeals.

Minutes later, Cavalieri beat away Lorenzo De Silvestre’s header before scrambling across his goal to keep out Riccardo Montolivo’s long range strike.

But it was Liverpool who would break the deadlock with half time approaching.

Yossi Benayoun escaped the attentions of his maker to glance Steven Gerrard’s free kick past the despairing dive of Sebastian Frey.

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First start | Alberto Aquilani

Fiorentina came out fighting after the restart and Cavalieri almost fumbled into his own net under pressure from Alberto Gilardino.

Another wicked Gerrard delivery somehow evaded the diving Agger on the hour as Liverpool began to exert some pressure of their own.

Perhaps most inspiring for the Anfield faithful was the sight of Fernando Torres warming up on the sidelines but his impending introduction only served to spur on Fiorentina.

Martin Jorgensen was picked out by Gilardino and fired into the bottom left hand corner in front of the travelling fans.

Liverpool responded well but Gerrard could only find the side netting on 70 minutes after Torres’ goal-bound effort was blocked.

Fiorentina made a double substitution shortly after, knowing top spot would give them a favourable draw in the last 16.

Aquilani was taken off with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining after a lively performance that lacked any real end product.

His replacement, Daniel Pacheco, tested Frey with his first touch but the French keeper was equal to it.

Marco Marchionni hit a low drive that was well saved by Cavalieri in the closing stages.

But Fiorentina had the last word as poor defending from Stephen Darby allowed Alberto Gilardino to steal in and settle the points in stoppage time.

Simon Moss, Goal.com