Jovetic's double strike helps Fiorentina shock Benitez's side 2-0
Jovetic's double strike helps Fiorentina shock Benitez's side 2-0
Young deep-lying forward Stevan Jovetic scored a brace as Fiorentina stunned Liverpool 2-0 in Champions League Group E at the Stadio Artemio Franchi yesterday.
The Montenegro international twice found the net in a mesmerising first 45 minutes for the hosts before the Viola backline held firm during a nail-biting second half.
The victory moved Fiorentina level on three points with Liverpool and three points behind group leaders Lyon.
If Fiorentina started this match as the underdogs, someone had ommitted to tell them and there followed 45 minutes of near domination from the Tuscans, with Jovetic at the centre of almost everything.
On 16 minutes Martin Skrtel blocked his shot away for a corner before the Montenegro star shot wide from distance and then narrowly missed connecting with a driven Adrian Mutu cross-cum-shot.
But on 28 minutes the rampaging hosts deservedly took the lead as Cristiano Zanetti's pass split a hesitating defence, which seemed to have stopped as Mutu lurked in an offside position, but the Romania captain left the ball and Jovetic ran through to slide home low past Pepe Reina.
With Alberto Gilardino sent-off against Lyon two weeks ago suspended, Fiorentina were playing without a recognisable target man but their fluid interplay between Mutu, Jovetic, Juan Vargas and Marco Marchionni in a 4-2-3-1 formation was leading hapless Liverpool a merry dance.
On 31 minutes a Riccardo Montolivo pass out to the left found Vargas behind the exposed Glen Johnson, but with no support he had to shoot from a tight angle and Reina saved.
Moments later Johnson made amends, coming to the rescue to cut out Gianluca Comotto's cross before it found Jovetic.
But eight minutes before the break Fiorentina added a second as Vargas thrashed a low cross into the box from the left and Jovetic stuck out a leg to divert it past Reina.
Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey was a spectator in that first period but Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez must have dished out the hair-dryer treatment in the changing room because the Merseysiders were a team transformed at the restart.
Messi, Pedro help Barca to first win
Holders Barcelona recorded their first Champions League win of the new campaign with goals from Lionel Messi and substitute Pedro securing a 2-0 win over Dinamo Kiev at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
After a perfect five wins in the league Barca kick-started their European defence and replace Kiev at the top of Group F on four points after Inter Milan drew 1-1 with Rubin Kazan.
Argentine Messi, top-scorer in last season's Champions League with nine goals, scored Barca's first goal
after 25 minutes before substitute Pedro, the latest hope from the club's youth team, added a second to bring
up a scoreline that still didn't reflect their dominance.
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Results:
Rubin 1 Inter Milan 1
Barcelona 2 Kiev 0
Urziceni 1 Stuttgart 1
Rangers 1 Sevilla 4
Arsenal 2 Olympiacos 0
AZ 1 Standard 1
Fiorentina 2 Liverpool 0
Debrecen 0 Lyon 4
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