Joaquin and Ante Rebic sent Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”2″>Fiorentina through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, beating Chievo 2-0 in a game with two red cards.
Joaquin and Ante Rebic sent Fiorentina through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, beating Chievo 2-0 in a game with two red cards.
The Viola will face either Catania or Siena on January 23. Vincenzo Montella’s men were without the injured Giuseppe Rossi, who was in the stands ahead of tomorrow’s flight to Colorado for a specialist consultation on his knee, Manuel Pasqual, Mario Gomez and Marko Bakic. Chievo missed Luca Rigoni and Adrian Calello, but defender Dario Dainelli returned to face his former Fiorentina teammates.
Joaquin blasted the first real opportunity over the bar following great work from Mati Fernandez, while Neto had to parry at the near post from a deflected Alberto Paloschi cross-shot.
Joaquin gave Fiorentina the lead on the half-hour mark. Rafal Wolski pulled back to the edge of the box, where Joaquin’s first time daisy-cutter found its way into the far bottom corner. Chievo were down to 10 men at the time, as Manuel Pamic was receiving treatment.
Pamic eventually had to come off, as his nosebleed would not stop, so he made way for Boukary Drame.
The hosts doubled their advantage in first half stoppages. Borja Valero’s free kick was fingertipped on to the crossbar, but Ante Rebic was quickest to the rebound. It was his first goal for the Tuscans.
Straight after the restart Mati Fernandez clipped the top of the crossbar with a splendid curler, but Rebic went off with a knock to the ankle.
Chievo went down to 10 men after Gennaro Sardo foolishly simulated a Massimo Ambrosini foul, earning himself a second yellow card.
Facundo Roncaglia and Mati Fernandez tested the goalkeeper from distance, while Ryder Matos was offside by the time he prodded in as Marco Silvestri had parried a shot into his path.
Fiorentina also finished the game a man down, as Ambrosini received his second booking for a mistimed challenge on Perparim Hetemaj. He'll be suspended for the quarter-final.
Neto kept his clean sheet safe by taking the sting out of a Marcelo Estigarribia counter-attack and Ivan Radovanovic screamer, but there was little to cheer for the seven Chievo fans who made the trip to Florence.
Fiorentina 2-0 Chievo
Scorers: Joaquin 29 (F), Rebic 45 (F)
Fiorentina: Neto; Roncaglia, Rodriguez, Compper (Vecino 80), Tomovic; Ambrosini, Mati Fernandez, Borja Valero; Wolski (Pizarro 70), Rebic (Matos 64), Joaquin
Chievo: Silvestri; Cesar, Dainelli, Pamic (Drame 40), Sardo; Bentivoglio, Radovanovic, Hetemaj, Sestu (Thereau 54); Paloschi (Frey 71), Estigarribia
Ref: Irrati
Sent off: Sardo 68 (C), Ambrosini 84 (F)