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 Fiorentina have taken their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup after a 2-1 win over Mlada Boleslav and will now face Champions League drop-out Rosenborg.
The Viola approached this game knowing that a draw would be enough to see them through to the knockout stages.
However, Cesare Prandelli was keen to avoid complacency against the Czech side that put Palermo out of the competition in the last round.
The Tuscans' boss opted to leave the half-fit Alessandro Gamberini on the bench and also rested Riccardo Montolivo, who is struggling with an ankle injury.
The bitter cold in Florence sadly seemed to put off the majority of fans as the stadium was almost deserted at the first whistle.
After seven minutes, the hosts called for a penalty when Giampaolo Pazzini was bundled over by Milan Kopic, but the referee waved play on. Although the appeals were muted, the former Azzurrini star can count himself unlucky.
Just a minute later, Adrian Mutu's cross wasn't held by Mlada 'keeper Petr Pizanowski, but Franco Semioli spurned a golden chance to tuck away the loose ball.
Fiorentina continued to push as the Czechs struggled to get a foot on the ball and Pazzini should've done better when a Fabio Liverani ball threatened to put him through.
The Italians were cursing the refereeing after 25 minutes when Mutu was denied by a dubious offside flag after Pazzini was scythed by Kopic without a free-kick.
The pace dropped, but the Viola were firmly in control and were so nearly ahead after 38 minutes when Boleslav goalkeeper Pizanowski beat Pazzini to the ball outside his box only to play it straight to Semioli. The ex-Chievo man's effort from 30 yards rolled agonisingly just wide of the empty net.
Just as it seemed certain to be level at the break, Fiorentina were awarded a penalty when Pazzini was brought down in the area.
Mutu stepped up and clipped a cheeky lobbed penalty over Pizanowski to make it 1-0.
It should have been 2-0 shortly after the restart but Mutu was called offside controversially from a Massimo Gobbi ball.
Gobbi was less brilliant when he failed to keep his header down from point-blank range after a pinpoint Semioli cross.
On the hour mark, the Czechs levelled through defender Jan Rajnoch whose 25-yard shot got past an unconvincing Cristiano Lupatelli.
Prandelli sent Christian Vieri on for Pazzini and the gamble truly paid off. Having been on the pitch for just five minutes, Vieri found the net when he beat the offside trap to tap Liverani's ball home.
Vieri was oozing determination and he was inches away from a second goal on 70 minutes when he connected with a Mutu cross.
Pizanowski did well to deny Gobbi from just inside the area with little over 10 minutes remaining.
The game ended with the Viola completely in control and an effort from late substitute Osvaldo nearly made it 3-1 on two occasions.
It's mission accomplished for Prandelli and his Fiorentina side can progress with confidence. Fiorentina have drawn Norwegian side Rosenborg in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.
The Viola secured their place in the last 32 with a 2-1 win over Mlada Boleslav last night, but only finished second and were left to face a Champions League third-placed side.
While there was some relief at avoiding when Rangers and PSV, Rosenborg will present Cesare Prandelli’s men with a stern test.
The Trondheim outfit held Chelsea back in September at Stamford Bridge and recorded wins over Valencia at home and away in an audacious Champions League campaign.
Rosenborg finished the year strongly in the Tippeligaen but only finished fifth after a costly hammering at Lillestrom in October. Meanwhile former Viola striker Luca Toni will face Scottish side Aberdeen who drew the 2006 FIFA World Champion's Bayern Munich.
The ties will be played on February 13 and 14 with the second legs a week later. Channel4.com In Italian: Uefa, la Fiorentina soffre ma ci pensa BoboneAlla fine la vittoria arriva (2-1, ma Prandelli ha dovuto calare l'asso: che ancora una volta si chiama Christian Vieri, con la sua esperienza e con la sua ritrovata voglia CHE FREDDO - Nel primo tempo c'è innanzitutto un Mlada che, non bastasse il clima, fa di tutto per raffreddare il gioco. Si chiude dietro, e quando supera la metà campo sembra farlo solo per alleggerimento. Eppure i numeri, sulla carta, obbligano i cechi a cercare la vittoria: chissà, forse cercano il colpaccio nella ripresa. Il problema è che sono loro stessi a esporsi al colpaccio dei viola, nonostante le evidenti difficoltà di questi ultimi create proprio dall'atteggiamento rinunciatario del Mlada. Succede già quando l'avventato portiere Pizanowski esce fino alla trequarti: palla a Semioli che da una quarantina di metri per poco non indovina la porta. E poi succede quando Prochazka interviene scomposto su Pazzini atterrandolo in area e regalando a Mutu un pallone dal dischetto- La trasformazione a cucchiaio è tanto rischiosa quanto deliziosa: portiere da una parte, palla centrale in rete, e si va al riposo sull'1-0. LA RIPRESA - Ma forse proprio a causa del vantaggio, nella ripresa non si vedono correttivi: così riecco le difficoltà dei viola a muoversi senza palla e dunque a fare gioco. C'è anche distrazione in difesa, tant'è che il ceco Rainoch al quarto d'ora puiò aggiustarsi palla senza problemi e tirare in rete sorprendendo Lupatelli. E' a quel punto che Prandelli corre ai ripari inserendo Christian Vieri. E bastano 10 minuti di deliziosi fraseggi Liverani-Mutu-Vieri per ritornare in vantaggio grazie al centravanti lanciato dal regista. Rimesse a posto le cose, Prandelli può permettersi di sostituire il romeno. Ma il vantaggio è stavolta una medicina: i viola tengono in mano la partita fino alla fine e se la portano a casa, insieme alla meritata qualificazione ai sedicesimi. Gazzetta |
La cuneese protagonista nella 20 km, vinta dalla bielorussa Turava. Testa testa per l'argento fino al chilometro 18, poi cede nel finale.
