A lonely goal from the Italy striker proved the difference here...
Sep 13, 2009 3:51:20 PM
Without Adrian Mutu, who was left out of Cesare Prandelli's plans for this match due to fitness problems, Fiorentina were made to work hard! to beat Cagliari 1-0 at the Artemio Franchi.
The match began at a very slow pace, with neither side able to create danger in the opening minutes. Fiorentina looked more determined to find the back of the net, but they kept finding a Cagliari man blocking their shots.
The first sight of danger came only in the 25th minute, when Marchionni sent in a low cross from the right but Gilardino could not connect to it.
On 32 minutes, Fiorentina looked close to the goal, when Montolivo fed the ball forward to Gilardino, whose low drive went just wide of the right post of Cagliari's goal.
There were penalty claims by the home side on 45 minutes, when Jovetic collided with a Cagliari defender and their goalkeeper in the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
In the second period, Fiorentina began piling the pressure and earned a number of free-kicks close to the Cag! liari area in the first minutes, chances they could never put ! to good use.
But such pressure finally bore fruits as the Viola broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half. Vargas, with an individual move down the left, did well to find space between two defenders to swing in a cross to Gilardino, who powered a header into the net.
The Viola could have doubled their lead on 63 minutes, when Jovetic cut inside from the right before moving past two players but his shot from 25 yards out went over the bar.
Cagliari created danger for the first time 21 minutes into the second period, when Jeda sent in a well-placed shot from the right but Frey held it.
The visitors were now more dangerous and had another chance in the 76th minute, when Cossu clipped the ball into the area, forcing Frey to rush to it before unmarked Matri could do anything.
But Fiorentina refused to be mere spectators and responded just two minutes later through Donadel, who went for glory from distance but his effort went! just inches over the bar.
It was a well-deserved win for the Viola, who were pretty much the only team to risk anything here. Cagliari were punished for playing on defence and rightfully walk out of the stadium without a point.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/09/13/1498697/fiorentina-1-0-cagliari-viola-see-off-rossoblu-with
