Summer's End: Fiorentina 2-1 Catania

Catania came to Stadia Artemio Franchi to wrap up the first match day of Seria A play with Fiorentina this evening and Fiorenitna did not disappoint the fans, getting goals from Giuseppe Rossi and David Pizarro to send Catania back to Sicily empty-handed.

La Viola came into today's home match after a 2-1 victory against Grasshopper  in Zurich on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League Playoff match up. The return match will be in Firenze on Thursday.

Fiorentina's young coach, Vincenzo Montella, went back to his 3-5-2 formation in front of Norberto Neto, with Marvin Compper, Gonzalo Rodriguez and Stefan Savic in defense, Manuel Pasqual, Borja Valero, Pizarro, Alberto Aquilani and Juan Cuadrado in midfield and Rossi and Mario Gomez up front.

Catania countered with a 4-3-3 in front of goalie Mariano Andújar. Nicolás Spolli, Giuseppe Bellusci, Luciano Monzón and Pablo Alvarez in defense, Panagiotis Tachtsidis, Mariano Izco and  Lucas Nahuel Castro in midfield, with Gonzalo Bergessio, Sebastián Leto and Pablo Barrientos up forward.

The match start out all Viola and it only took 15 minutes for a nice charge down the field wound up with a dish to Cuadrado from Aquilani. Cuadrado took the ball to the end line and passed back to a wide open Rossi who snuck the ball into the corner of the net.

Catania turned the pressure up and started getting chances which eventually paid dividends as a mistake led to a shot by Barrientos snuck through the defenders and past  Neto for the equalizer.

Pizarro put the home squad back in the lead for good a few minutes later, collecting the ball at the edge of the box and rifling it home.

Quotes

Vincenzo Montella:

"I felt the team were absolutely terrific. Gomez and Rossi really compliment each other and will only grow better."

When asked about Adem Ljajic's exclusion from the squad.
"I did not call up Ljajic because his situation is not clear."

Report Cards

Neto(6.5)

Compper(6.5) -
Rodriguez (7)
Savic (6.5)

Pasqual(6)
Valero(7)
Pizarro (6.5)
Aquilani (6)
Cuadrado (8)

Rossi (7.5)
Gomez (6.5)

subs
Ilicic (5.5)
Fernandez (5.5)

Alonso (5.5)

Yellow Cards

Disqualification of one game after the 4th, 8th, 12th, 15th and the 17th yellow card. Past 17, every yellow card is equivalent to a one-match ban. (Players receiving yellow cards in this match have an *, red cards #)

Gomez (1)  *
Pizarro (1) *

Season Goals

Rossi (1)
Pizarro (1)

Stat Sheet

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