Serie A:
ROMA 1 – 0 FIORENTINA
Fiorentina fell the to its third consecutive
road defeat, losing 1-0 in Rome on November 30. After a balanced and well-played
first half, Roma were the stronger team in the second period, taking the lead
while limiting the Viola’s chances. Both sides came out hungry for an opening
goal, with their goalkeepers outperforming and chances aplenty on each end. The
first half could have easily ended 2-2 were it not for the strong plays of
Sebastian Frey and Alexandre Doni. An action-packed first half finished 0-0.
The deadlock was broken early in the second half as Roma took the lead with
captain Francesco Totti’s perfect shot from the top of the area. The goal
seemed to knock the wind out of the Viola’s sails, and despite some decent
chances, they were unable to find an equalizer.
Serie A:
FIORENTINA 4 – 1 TORINO
Fiorentina finally found the winning touch on
the road with an equally important and impressive 4-1 thrashing of Torino on
December 7. Taking the lead in just the second minute thanks to a perfectly
placed Mutu free-kick, Fiorentina never looked back, dominating the match and
sending Torino into the relegation zone. After Mutu’s opener, the Viola
controlled the first half of play, and justly went two ahead just before the
break when Gilardino, straddling the offside line, headed home Felipe Melo’s
from close range. The goal sealed the match, with Torino struggling to react to
the deficit. In the final half hour, Fiorentina again found the mark, this time
through Kuzmanovic, who fired home from close range. Torino pulled one goal
back in the final minutes thanks to an Alessandro Rosina penalty. Gilardino
quickly responded, scoring his second of the game.
