Fiorentina defeated Malaga 2-0 at La Rosaleda Stadium in friendly action on Sunday night.
First half goals from Giuseppe Rossi and Gonzalo Rodriguez secured a comfortable win for the Viola in the Spanish leg of their pre-season tour.
Vincenzo Montella’s side had the perfect start when they scored with the first real chance of the game in the 5th minute. The ball was only half cleared by Malaga and fell to Rossi, who beat the defender and slotted the ball into the bottom corner expertly with his left foot.
Duda had the first shot of the game for Malaga in the 10th minute from long range but his shot was well wide, which was the theme for much of the game for the La Liga side.
Two minutes later the ball was deflected off Alberto Aquilani and into the path of Sergi Darder but he sliced wide when he perhaps should’ve done better.
Aquilani was involved at the other end in the 15th minute, controlling the ball expertly to work space and get a shot off but it was hit over the bar.
The Viola doubled their lead in the 20th minute when a terrific cross from Borja Valero found Rodriguez. Malaga keeper Guillermo Ochoa came out to claim it but it was Rodriguez who got to the ball first and he cushioned his header into the empty net.
Horta was the next to hit wide from long range, turning past a defender and running with the ball before striking just over the bar in the 41st minute.
Malaga’s best chance of the half came in the 43rd minute, just before half time when Duda squared the ball to Horta, who came so close to curling the ball into the back of the net but hit the outside of the post instead.
The second half began with Malaga in control and looking to get back into it. They had the majority of possession in the half without ever really testing Neto.
The first real chance of the half came in the 51st minute when a free kick was guided in by substitute Luis Alberto but was headed over the bar by Vitorino Antunes.
Rosales tried his luck from out wide on the wing in the 49th minute but his 40 yard strike was always speculative at best and was well wide of Neto’s post.
A great move a minute later saw Malaga fashion their best opportunity of the game. Darder backheeled the ball through to Juanmi and he dinked the ball over an onrushing Neto but the ball was just wide.
In the 65th minute, Horta cut the ball back to Darder but his shot was wide of the post once again when we could’ve done better.
A great over the top ball found Joaquin for Fiorentina in the 82nd minute and he attempted to dink it over the onrushing Ochoa but the shot was wide of the post.
Malaga had two final chances in stoppage time. First Juanpi struck the ball well wide, while a minute later the ball found its way to Roque Santa Cruz but his shot was struck tamely and straight at Neto, meaning that Fiorentina came away with the victory.
