After four league games without a win or even so much as a goal to celebrate, Fiorentina fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, having seen their side storm to a comprehensive victory over Roma.
A penalty from Stevan Jovetic on his return from injury, a powerful header from Alessandro Gamberini, and another penalty from Santiago Silva – his first goal since joining from Velez Sarsfield in the summer – gave Delio Rossi his first league victory in charge of the Viola and lifted his side up to tenth in the Serie A standings.
The win was a fitting tribute to former player and Brazilian legend Socrates, who passed away just hours before the match at the age of 57. The Viola side wore black armbands as a mark of respect to the man who played 25 matches and scored six goals for the club in the 1984/85 season.
The victory was aided, in no small part it has to be said, by a shocking lack of discipline from Luis Enrique’s Roma side, with no fewer than three Giallorossi players seeing red.
Perhaps it is a little too easy to adopt a negative viewpoint given the difficult season the Viola have had so far, but it is a point worth noting, as two of those red cards followed the concession of penalties that greatly enhanced the home side’s chances of victory.
Roma can also claim to have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, and had they levelled the scores during a quick succession of corners in the first half, the result could have been markedly different.
However, there were valid reasons for Rossi to believe that the win will prove a watershed moment in the club’s season. Firstly, the return of Jovetic gave the side an attacking vitality so sorely lacking in his absence.
His superb flick of the ball behind the back of Juan turned the Roma defender inside-out, and left him with little option but to haul the Montenegrin forward down on the edge of the six-yard box. True, the home side benefited from an early lead and a one-man advantage thanks to the Brazilian’s rash reaction, but it was entirely the profit of Jovetic’s majestic trickery. Keeping hold of him once the transfer window reopens is essential to the club’s progress.
Though they enjoyed less possession than Roma, Rossi’s side created far more chances than their opponents, looking particularly dangerous from set-pieces. For a side who have struggled for goals this season, that can only be an encouraging sign.
Silva should also enjoy a confidence boost after finally getting off the mark for the club, albeit from the penalty spot, and with defender Gamberini also finding the net, hopes will be high that some of the goal scoring burden will now be shared more liberally throughout the side.
Rossi has understandably sought to underplay the significance of the result, suggesting that from a footballing standpoint there is still “a lot of work to do,” and he is right. However, his side will surely now head into Saturday night’s showdown with Inter at the San Siro in a buoyant mood thanks to an encouraging performance and a long overdue three points.
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