After a controversial home loss against Napoli, Fiorentina redeemed itself against AC Milan in the away game at the mecca of Italian football, the San Siro: Milan 0–2 Fiorentina.
The Viola had not beaten both Juventus and AC Milan in the same Serie A season since the 1998–99 campaign, so this victory marks yet another achievement in the Della Valle era.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Fiorentina’s sangfroid is what made the team’s fans rejoice the most after the referee blew his whistle at the end of the match.
Although AC Milan still enjoys a certain prestige for its glittering trophy case, the club has not been delivering this season, and it never posed a serious threat to Fiorentina during the game.
Vincenzo Montella’s men struck in the first half with a goal netted by Peruvian left winger Juan Manuel Vargas. Fiorentina dealt the final blow in the second half with Spaniard midfielder Borja Valero, scoring his second goal against AC Milan to date in his Serie A career.
Another exciting result for Fiorentina, which keeps the Viola in sixth place: being one point behind Inter Milan and Hellas Verona. The Tuscans’ objective is to qualify for the next Champions League, but Napoli and Juventus do not seem to be faltering.
Pandurii–Fiorentina (Nov 7)
With just one more point in the UEFA Europa League, Fiorentina will be granted access to the next stage of the competition. The Viola hope to obtain the necessary result on the road in Romania against Pandurii.
Montella’s team beat the Romanian squad at home in the first leg with a strong 3–0 result, and Fiorentina’s manager might decide to leave some of the team’s key players out of his starting 11, in order for them to be rested sufficiently for the next league game versus Sampdoria.
Pandurii comes to the match after two wins and one loss, against Vaslui, in their domestic league.
Fiorentina–Sampdoria (Nov 10)
Prior to a two-week pause for international duties in the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, Fiorentina must confront Sampdoria in the 12th game of the Serie A season.
The ‘Blucerchiati’ are in a tepid streak, with just seven points in the last five games, but coach Delio Rossi seems to be determined to make a good impression at the Artemio Franchi stadium, where he was the manager for a brief stint in 2011–12. A loss could cost Rossi his position as manager of the Genoese club.
Fiorentina fans will not see Mario Gómez, Josip Iličić or Massimo Ambrosini in action during this game, but these injured players are expected to return after the two-week break.
