Giuseppe Rossi and Gonzalo Rodriguez scored early on as Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”1″>Fiorentina comfortably won 2-0 in Malaga.
Giuseppe Rossi and Gonzalo Rodriguez scored early on as Fiorentina comfortably won 2-0 in Malaga.
The Viola continued their pre-season tour and, after Argentina, Brazil and Peru, began their Spanish jaunt in the Unesco Cup. Juan Guillermo Cuadrado was on the bench, as he only returned from his post-World Cup vacation this week. Tomorrow evening they’ll play Real Betis.
It took all of five minutes for Fiorentina to break the deadlock with Rossi. Mario Gomez was closed down in the box, but Pepito dribbled his way calmly into the net.
The Italians seemed to be in much better form and easily more confident. Borja Valero whipped in the cross from a corner for Gonzalo Rodriguez and the glancing header found Mexico’s World Cup hero Guillermo Ochoa horribly out of position. Rodriguez was wearing a protective mask after fracturing his cheekbone earlier this week.
Malaga came out of their shells, but finishing left a lot to be desired with Duda, Camacho and Juanmi turning off target.
Samu Castillejo forced a Norberto Neto save, while Ricardo Horta’s angled drive clipped the far post.
The tempo in the second half was much slower, as the Viola were sitting on their lead and there was intense heat on the Costa del Sol. Ex-Malaga star Joaquin came off the bench and was given a warm welcome.
Oleksandr Iakovenko’s effort was deflected just off target and in stoppages Roque Santa Cruz fired straight at Neto.
Malaga 0-2 Fiorentina
Scorers: Rossi 5 (F), Rodriguez 21 (F)
Malaga: Ochoa; Rosales, Sergio Sanchez, Weligton, Antunes (Boka 72); Camacho (Recio 81), Duda (Juanmi 46), Sergi Darder (Juanpi 81); Horta (Samuel 81), Santa Cruz, Castillejo (Luis Alberto 46)
Fiorentina: Neto; Savic, Rodriguez (Pasqual 82), Roncaglia, Alonso (Mancini 82); Borja Valero, Pizarro (Joaquin 74), Aquilani (Lazzari 66); Ilicic (Vargas 82); Rossi (Iakovenko 66), Gomez (Vecino 74)