Player Ratings: Steaua Bucharest 0-1 Fiorentina

STEAUA (4-2-3-1)

Rufay Zapata 7 - Unorthodox with crosses but he kept his lines clear, except when Gilardino was permitted to head past him unmarked.

Golanski 4 - Started well enough but faded out in the second half, before his ludicrous decision to get himself sent off and cheer as he left the pitch.

Baciu 7.5 - Remarkably solid and bullish in the face of some decent pressure early on. Not to blame for the goal. A fine performance.

Radoi 5 - The captain has done better, and he should have been among those tracking Gilardino at the corner.

Marin 5.5 - Decent long diagonal balls forward from Marin but overall his defensive pkay left much to be desired.

Petre 6.5 - Very much willing to run at the defence in the first period, and while he was posted missing in the second he was hardly the only one.

Tiago Gomes 5 - After a bright start he failed to go looking for the ball and his side crumbled. Deservedly substituted.

Nicolita 5.5 - Similar to Tiago Gomes' performance but with a bit more conviction about it.

Dayro Moreno 6.5 - Another bright starter who faded out as the game went on.

Juan Toja 7.5 - Extremely classy on the ball and is quite clearly a player to watch for the future.

Semedo 4.5 - Poor up front but tracked back very well. Still, that doesn't make up for some awful delivery and ill-timed running. Disappointing.

Substitutes

Lovin 6.5 - Played a fine ball across goal in what was Steaua's only real chance of the second half. For that alone he deserves praise.

Plesan N/A

FIORENTINA (4-3-1-2)

Frey 6.5 - Dealt well with the two things he had to watch out for all evening.

Zauri 7 - Started very shakily but recovered very well, and became a threat from deep crosses, too.

Gamberini 6.5 - A decent performance from the stopper, but one in which he had little to do.

Kroldrup 7 - The more imposing of the two centre-backs. He had a largely trouble-free evening.

Vargas 7.5 - After an awful start he came into his own past the quarter-hour mark, overlapping brilliantly in the midfield and causing Steaua all sorts of bother.

Donadel 7 - The former Italian U-21 came into a game nicely in the second period.

Felipe Melo 6 - Tough in the tackle but not overly impressive besides.

Montolivo 7 - Always in the right place on the edge of the box, although he could have had more end product.

Santana 6.5 - Unspectacular but he did what needed to be done.

Gilardino 7.5 - Although he was given little service he also failed to make his own luck, as it were. That was, of course, until he seized onto one excellent corner from Vargas to lose his marker and score. 65 minutes of nothing and then that goal: that's why he's on the pitch!

Mutu 6.5 - Did his best to drop back and aid with build-up play despite being heavily marked. Still, not his best game.

Substitutes

Almiron 6 - Steadied the ship well enough but had little to do, really.

Osvaldo N/A

Masi N/A

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com