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Barcelona Teach Fiorentina A Lesson
Fiorentina 1-3 Barcelona
Barcelona's fine pre-season form continued as the blaugrana stolled to a 3-1 win against Fiorentina in Florence...
Jul 30, 2008 5:54:41 PM
Barcelona came to Firenze with their eye on a third successive pre-season victory, and they duly got it after fine work in both halves against the Viola, who must improve ahead of their Champions League qualifier.
Guardiola's side lined up 4-4-2 against Prandelli's men, who had the likes of Felipe Melo in the side for invention.
The early stages were largely even, but ten minutes in the on-form Lionel Messi set up Xavi for an effort that Frey could only just palm clear.
Barcelona began to look stronger after that as they played a collective, energetic game, and after 28 minutes they took the lead.
Lionel Messi was again involved as his cross met Piqué, who in turn directed the ball onwards to Puyol. At the mouth of the goal, it was all the captain could do to hit the back of the net to make it 0-1.
Iniesta came off injured ten minutes before the break to dampen the spirits of the visitors, and they almost paid the price as Gilardino strode into the box, only for the AC Milan to waste his effort.
Overall Barcelona deserved their lead, and they were to double it just two minutes after the break. Young Jeffren, who had only recently come on for Iniesta, got on the end of Keita's fine pass to shoot across Frey and set the score at 0-2.
Substitutions followed for both sides but they appeared to pay off for Fiorentina first. Osvaldo played the bal to Pazzini on the edge of the box, and ask Valdés rushed out to meet the substitute he fired it under the 'keeper and thus halved the deficit.
But this glimmer of hope was not to last as young gun Bojan Krcić restored the two-goal advantage seconds later after a lovely team move involving three cantera products: Jeffren, Víctor Vázquez and Bojan himself.
That goal seemed testament to Pep Guardiola's good work with the youth, but one wonders if his side can keep it up once the competitive football starts. Based on showings like this, though, they will be hard to beat, while Fiorentina must do more to prepare themselves for Europe.
ACF Fiorentina 1-3 FC Barcelona
0-1 Puyol 29'
0-2 Jeffren 47'
1-2 Pazzini 69'
1-3 Bojan 72'
Fiorentina: Frey (Storari 71); Zauri (Gobbi 56), Gamberini (Da Costa 66), Kroldrup, Pasqual (Osvaldo 56); Santana, Kuzmanovic, Felipe Melo, Donadel (Waigo 56); Gilardino (Pazzini 56), Mutu (Jovetic 56).
Barcelona: Valdés; Alves (Víctor Sánchez 76), Piqué, Puyol (Cáceres 46), Abidal (Sylvinho 46); Xavi (Busquets 46), Keita (Gudjohnsen 61), Touré (Víctor Vázquez 61), Iniesta (Jeffren 39 (Marc Crosas 76)); Pedrito (Bojan 46), Messi (Hleb 67).
Guardiola's side lined up 4-4-2 against Prandelli's men, who had the likes of Felipe Melo in the side for invention.
The early stages were largely even, but ten minutes in the on-form Lionel Messi set up Xavi for an effort that Frey could only just palm clear.
Barcelona began to look stronger after that as they played a collective, energetic game, and after 28 minutes they took the lead.
Lionel Messi was again involved as his cross met Piqué, who in turn directed the ball onwards to Puyol. At the mouth of the goal, it was all the captain could do to hit the back of the net to make it 0-1.
Iniesta came off injured ten minutes before the break to dampen the spirits of the visitors, and they almost paid the price as Gilardino strode into the box, only for the AC Milan to waste his effort.
Overall Barcelona deserved their lead, and they were to double it just two minutes after the break. Young Jeffren, who had only recently come on for Iniesta, got on the end of Keita's fine pass to shoot across Frey and set the score at 0-2.
Substitutions followed for both sides but they appeared to pay off for Fiorentina first. Osvaldo played the bal to Pazzini on the edge of the box, and ask Valdés rushed out to meet the substitute he fired it under the 'keeper and thus halved the deficit.
But this glimmer of hope was not to last as young gun Bojan Krcić restored the two-goal advantage seconds later after a lovely team move involving three cantera products: Jeffren, Víctor Vázquez and Bojan himself.
That goal seemed testament to Pep Guardiola's good work with the youth, but one wonders if his side can keep it up once the competitive football starts. Based on showings like this, though, they will be hard to beat, while Fiorentina must do more to prepare themselves for Europe.
ACF Fiorentina 1-3 FC Barcelona
0-1 Puyol 29'
0-2 Jeffren 47'
1-2 Pazzini 69'
1-3 Bojan 72'
Fiorentina: Frey (Storari 71); Zauri (Gobbi 56), Gamberini (Da Costa 66), Kroldrup, Pasqual (Osvaldo 56); Santana, Kuzmanovic, Felipe Melo, Donadel (Waigo 56); Gilardino (Pazzini 56), Mutu (Jovetic 56).
Barcelona: Valdés; Alves (Víctor Sánchez 76), Piqué, Puyol (Cáceres 46), Abidal (Sylvinho 46); Xavi (Busquets 46), Keita (Gudjohnsen 61), Touré (Víctor Vázquez 61), Iniesta (Jeffren 39 (Marc Crosas 76)); Pedrito (Bojan 46), Messi (Hleb 67).
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