Fiorentina Edge Siena In Tuscan Derby

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Alberto Gilardino pulls up with a muscular injury against Siena

Related Links

Teams

• Fiorentina
• Siena

Following two successive defeats, Fiorentina were looking to return to winning ways as they hosted Siena in the Tuscan derby. The home side played in a 4-1-3-2 formation with the usual couple of Alberto Gilardino and Adrian Mutu up front, while Siena played in a 4-3-1-2 system with Houssine Kharja behind Massimo Maccarone and Abdel Ghezzal.

The hosts started strongly and created their first chance in the sixth minute, when Gilardino received the ball in the area from Gianluca Comotto, but from a dangerous position he fired it well over the bar.

The striker missed another chance three minutes later, as Zdravko Kuzmanovic made a great run on the right and crossed the ball in, finding Gilardino, whose shot from inside the area was weak and went wide.

The Viola went close again in the 17th minute, when Martin Jorgensen fired a shot from the edge of that was deflected and whizzed just over the crossbar.

Three minutes later there was the first danger for Fiorentina, as goalkeeper Sebastien Frey was blinded by the sun and failed to get hold of the ball on a cross, but Ghezzal was unable to take advantage due to Per Kroldrup’s well-timed clearence.

The home side responded with a chance for Riccardo Montolivo in the 23rd minute, when the midfielder tried a first-time shot on an assist by Mutu, but he fired it over the bar.

The visitors threatened in the 35th minute through Maccarone, who tried to work his way past Kroldrup and Alessandro Gamberini into the area, but the referee saw a handball and stopped the play.

That was the last chance of a less than enthralling first half of football.

No changes were made by either coach during half time. The visitors looked more determined at the start of the second half, and in the 54th minute they nearly opened the score as Maccarone received the ball on the left, and tried to aim for the far post with a shot from inside the area, but Kroldrup made a good sliding tackle to clear it away.

Four minutes later, substitute Stevan Jovetic came close just a few minutes after coming on, heading in a corner kick from the right from a good position, but he failed to beat goalkeeper Gianluca Curci.

Siena replied immediately a minute after that, Kharja making a good run down the center before firing a shot from the edge of the area that went just past the post.

The visitors continued to be the more dangerous side, and on the hour mark Ghezzal came close with a header on a cross by Kharja, but he couldn’t quite get it on target.

Frey was called into action by Siena in the 66th minute, as full back Juan Zuniga picked up the ball on the edge of the area, made a run and fired a shot towards the bottom corner that was tipped away by the French goalkeeper.

Two minutes later he had to make an even better save to keep out a shot by Goncalo Brandao on a corner kick move that was deflected dangerously by Kuzmanovic.

However, somewhat against the run of play it was Fiorentina who took the lead in the 72nd minute through their best player Mutu, who fired a clinical shot from inside the area on a cross by substitute Massimo Gobbi.

The Romanian star had the ball in the net again two minutes later, on a very similar move to the previous one, but the referee canceled the ‘goal’ because he was in an offside position.

Fiorentina’s opening goal was a bad blow for Siena, who clearly looked second best after that. In the 79th minute, subtitute Emiliano Bonazzoli came close to finishing off a great move, Jovetic playing the ball to Mutu with a deft touch, and Mutu played it back to Bonazzoli with a great touch off his heel, but the former Sampdoria man’s shot from the edge of the area was forgettable.

In the last part of the match, the visitors logically threw everyone forward looking for an equaliser, but they couldn’t really find a way to threaten Frey’s goal. This was a crucial victory for the Viola, who maintain their distance from fourth-placed Genoa, who remain two points ahead. Meanwhile, Siena are in 15th place but with a seven-point margin over the relegation zone.

Fiorentina (4-1-3-2): Frey; Comotto, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Vargas; Jorgensen (56’ Jovetic); Kuzmanovic, Felipe Melo, Montolivo (61’ Gobbi); Gilardino (70’ Bonazzoli), Mutu. Coach: Prandelli.

Siena (4-3-1-2): Curci; Zuniga, Portanova, Brandao, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa; Kharja (76’ Calaió); Maccarone, Ghezzal (83’ Frick). Coach: Giampaolo.

Goals: 72’ Mutu (F)

Booked: Comotto, Gamberini, Felipe Melo (F); Brandao, Del Grosso (S)