Fiorentina were looking to start the new year and pick up a crucial victory away to Parma in order to keep their Champions League dream alive. Although it was far from easy, with Parma creating a number of good chances at the start, they showed the character of a great team and ground out a suffered 2-1 victory.
Parma began the game brightly, and in the 6th minute they came incredibly close to scoring several times within a few seconds. Reginaldo controlled the ball well inside the area, and crossed it in for Paolo Castellini, whose shot was blocked. Then the ball came to Stefano Morrone, whose shot was well saved from close range by goalkeeper Sebastien Frey. Finally, another effort by Bernardo Corradi went wide.
The next chance was again for Parma, as a quick move led to Castellini playing a sharp pass to Andrea Pisanu, who took a shot from the edge of the area which crashed against the post in the 17th minute.
A minute later, Corradi came close again, as he tried an ambitious volley from the edge of the area on a cross from the right wing, but it went narrowly over the bar.
In the 20th minute, a dangerous counterattack by Parma was wasted by Reginaldo, who opted for a difficult shot from the left side of the Fiorentina area instead of passing it to a better positioned team mate. The shot was easily saved by Frey.
Fiorentina started to make themselves dangerous around the half hour mark, with some good interplay between Adrian Mutu and Christian Vieri. In the 27th minute, Vieri played a smart pass towards Mutu inside the area, but goalkeeper Luca Bucci came out well to anticipate the Romanian.
A minute later, Mutu returned the favour as he found 'Bobo' on the edge of the area, but his low shot was confidently saved by Bucci.
Fiorentina got gradually closer to the Parma goal, and in the 42nd minute Riccardo Montolivo did very well to win a ball in midfield and took a powerful shot from outside the area, which was deflected for a corner by Bucci.
This eventually led to Fiorentina's opener as Mario Santana sent the ball in from the corner flag, finding Mutu who headed it past Bucci, although it got a decisive deflection off Morrone (43').
The Viola thus ended the first half with a slightly undeserved 1-0 lead.
The second half was a more slowly-paced affair at first, as Fiorentina seemed to have things under control for long stretches of the game.
The first chance came only in the 65th minute, when Bucci came up with a great save to deflect a close range shot by Santana out for a corner.
Out of the blue, the home side found the equaliser in the 68th minute: a free kick from midfield by Luca Cigarini found defender Ferdinand Coly, who headed it past Frey with a precise effort, although the Frenchman did get a touch to it.
Following this goal, Parma gained enthusiasm and started to believe they could win this match. However, Fiorentina were looking confident in defence, and frequently made themselves dangerous on the counterattack.
On one of these occasions, Vieri was fouled inside the area by Morrone, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty. Mutu stepped up to the penalty spot and placed the ball coolly past Bucci, although the keeper came desperately close to keeping it out (85’).
In the final minutes, Parma did not give up and kept looking for an equaliser, and seemingly came close in the 92nd minute, as Corradi headed a free kick just wide from close range. However, he was judged to have been offside anyway.
Ultimately, Fiorentina managed to scrape a 2-1 victory that keeps them well in the hunt for a Champions League spot. They are currently fifth with 31 points, one behind Udinese who also won today, while Parma are 13th with 18 points.
Danilo Pochini
Match stats
PARMA – FIORENTINA 1-2
Goalscorers: 44’, Mutu (F), 69’ Coly (P), 84’ Mutu pen. (F).
Parma (4-4-2) Bucci; Coly, Paci, Falcone (7’ Couto), Castellini (54’ Gasbarroni); Zenoni, Morrone, Cigarini, Pisanu (63’ Mariga); Reginaldo, Corradi. Available: Pavarini, Parravicini, Mariga, Dessena, Crisci.
Coach: Di Carlo
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Frey; Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Pasqual; Donadel, Liverani (62’ Jorgensen), Montolivo (67’ Gobbi); Santana, Vieri, Mutu (91’ Kuzmanovic). Available: Lupatelli, Dainelli, Pazzini, Semioli.
Coach: Prandelli
Referee: Brighi
Parma began the game brightly, and in the 6th minute they came incredibly close to scoring several times within a few seconds. Reginaldo controlled the ball well inside the area, and crossed it in for Paolo Castellini, whose shot was blocked. Then the ball came to Stefano Morrone, whose shot was well saved from close range by goalkeeper Sebastien Frey. Finally, another effort by Bernardo Corradi went wide.
The next chance was again for Parma, as a quick move led to Castellini playing a sharp pass to Andrea Pisanu, who took a shot from the edge of the area which crashed against the post in the 17th minute.
A minute later, Corradi came close again, as he tried an ambitious volley from the edge of the area on a cross from the right wing, but it went narrowly over the bar.
In the 20th minute, a dangerous counterattack by Parma was wasted by Reginaldo, who opted for a difficult shot from the left side of the Fiorentina area instead of passing it to a better positioned team mate. The shot was easily saved by Frey.
Fiorentina started to make themselves dangerous around the half hour mark, with some good interplay between Adrian Mutu and Christian Vieri. In the 27th minute, Vieri played a smart pass towards Mutu inside the area, but goalkeeper Luca Bucci came out well to anticipate the Romanian.
A minute later, Mutu returned the favour as he found 'Bobo' on the edge of the area, but his low shot was confidently saved by Bucci.
Fiorentina got gradually closer to the Parma goal, and in the 42nd minute Riccardo Montolivo did very well to win a ball in midfield and took a powerful shot from outside the area, which was deflected for a corner by Bucci.
This eventually led to Fiorentina's opener as Mario Santana sent the ball in from the corner flag, finding Mutu who headed it past Bucci, although it got a decisive deflection off Morrone (43').
The Viola thus ended the first half with a slightly undeserved 1-0 lead.
The second half was a more slowly-paced affair at first, as Fiorentina seemed to have things under control for long stretches of the game.
The first chance came only in the 65th minute, when Bucci came up with a great save to deflect a close range shot by Santana out for a corner.
Out of the blue, the home side found the equaliser in the 68th minute: a free kick from midfield by Luca Cigarini found defender Ferdinand Coly, who headed it past Frey with a precise effort, although the Frenchman did get a touch to it.
Following this goal, Parma gained enthusiasm and started to believe they could win this match. However, Fiorentina were looking confident in defence, and frequently made themselves dangerous on the counterattack.
On one of these occasions, Vieri was fouled inside the area by Morrone, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty. Mutu stepped up to the penalty spot and placed the ball coolly past Bucci, although the keeper came desperately close to keeping it out (85’).
In the final minutes, Parma did not give up and kept looking for an equaliser, and seemingly came close in the 92nd minute, as Corradi headed a free kick just wide from close range. However, he was judged to have been offside anyway.
Ultimately, Fiorentina managed to scrape a 2-1 victory that keeps them well in the hunt for a Champions League spot. They are currently fifth with 31 points, one behind Udinese who also won today, while Parma are 13th with 18 points.
Danilo Pochini
Match stats
PARMA – FIORENTINA 1-2
Goalscorers: 44’, Mutu (F), 69’ Coly (P), 84’ Mutu pen. (F).
Parma (4-4-2) Bucci; Coly, Paci, Falcone (7’ Couto), Castellini (54’ Gasbarroni); Zenoni, Morrone, Cigarini, Pisanu (63’ Mariga); Reginaldo, Corradi. Available: Pavarini, Parravicini, Mariga, Dessena, Crisci.
Coach: Di Carlo
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Frey; Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Pasqual; Donadel, Liverani (62’ Jorgensen), Montolivo (67’ Gobbi); Santana, Vieri, Mutu (91’ Kuzmanovic). Available: Lupatelli, Dainelli, Pazzini, Semioli.
Coach: Prandelli
Referee: Brighi
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