Fiorentina threw away a lead to draw 1-1 with Roma at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday night in this Europa League Round of 16 tie.
The hosts dominated the first half with Josip Ilicic giving them the lead, and they looked to hold on to that advantage in the second half when Adem Ljajic missed a penalty. However, the Giallorossi didn’t give up hope, and slotted away an equaliser to get yet another draw and make the second leg in seven days time a little easier.
Roma survived the first 10 minutes of domination from La Viola, with shots from Mohamed Salah failing to hit the back of the net, but the Chelsea loanee looked eager and threatening in Vincenzo Montella’s attack.
The hosts were on the front foot again a couple of minutes later, when Borja Valero was presented with the perfect opportunity to score but Roma midfielder Seydou Keita put in a good block to keep the score goalless.
Josip Ilicic finally gave Fiorentina the lead they deserved after quarter of an hour, after he received the ball off Salah who picked up a horribly misplaced ball from Daniele De Rossi, and Ilicic slotted the ball into the top right hand corner to put his side ahead.
Milan Badelj made a wonderful tackle to keep the Fiorentina attack growing ever stronger, and after some counter attacking pressure a shot was put over the bar by Jose Basanta.
Rudi Garcia was forced into two substitutions within the first 27 minutes, as both De Rossi and Kostas Manolas were injured and replaced.
The first key shot from the Giallorossi came from Radja Nainggolan just after 40 minutes, but his shot was drilled wide.
The visitors were then given another huge chance, but Ljajic powered the ball over the bar of an open goal after Neto parried an Alessandro Florenzi shot.
Rudi Garcia’s side couldn’t find an equaliser before half time, though, and the 51-year-old coach had a lot of thinking to do during the break.
His message was obviously not clear enough, however, as Fiorentina piled on the pressure at the start of the second half and Roma relied on bodies to get in the way to stop the shots from their opposition.
Roma were given a lifeline just before the hour mark, when Juan Iturbe was fouled by keeper Neto inside the box to much protest from the Fiorentina players, but it wasn’t the Lupi’s night as former Viola man Ljajic’s penalty was saved.
It was then Badelj’s turn to go into the book, when he made a needed foul on Miralem Pjanic when Neto was a long way out of his goal to clear a Roma attack.
Then out of nowhere Roma got an equaliser 15 minutes from time, when Keita had a free header from a corner and put it away to give the visitors a valuable away goal before the second leg next week.
