Wow!  Great game in Rome.  Roma produce everything from the sublime to the ridiculous whilst Fiorentina struggle to cope with a rejigged side, they threaten on occasion, more so than Roma in the first half 

 

Italy's capital bathed in Sunshine and adorned with the red of the Giallorossi Tifosi.  The Stadio Olimpico is a great stadium to watch football in and the home fans bought their singing voices in support of their beloved team.  A European six-pointer. 

 

Spalletti; with a full deck; Mancini's suspension aside; to pick from; still rings the changes; likely the previous game last Wednesday and the game this Wednesday on his mind.  Doni keeps goal with a back four of Cicinho, Ferrari, Mexes and Tonetto.  Aquilani is welcomed with a start alongside De Rossi with Taddei, Vucinic and Giuly strung out behind Totti.  It's a very fluid 4 5 1 formation (or 4 2 3 1 if you want to be picky). 

 

Prandelli is buoyant from a job well done in Europe and has the Blues to contemplate plus a midweek clash with Livorno to consider as well.  He has more injuries and suspensions to handle and picks a recombobulated side. 

Frey is fit to keep goal, the back four sees Ujfalusi and Gobbi wide with Gamberini and Kroldrup in the middle.  Kuzmanovic, Jorgenson and Montolivo make up the midfield with Mutu spearheading a front three which includes Semioli on the right and Vieri on the left. 

 

La Viola start with intent and a bit of fire, the fire is returned and Ferrari and Vieri start a game long tussle. 

Semioli is the key with Tonetto defending slackly and allowing the wide man space to put in crosses.  Gamberini forces a fine save from Doni on three minutes, Mutu eschews a much easier chance, Mutu jumps ahead of the better placed Gamberini and has his header cleared. 

Roma aren't being outplayed so much as sitting back and absorbing pressure, they love to attack quickly and from deep. 

Crosses are a staple in the Viola armoury; with Vieri not exactly mobile and Mutu often pushed wide the lack much of a target. 

Roma's quick breaking sees' Totti win a foul and his quick free kick sees Vucinic spurn a chance with a levered strike which goes well above the bar. 

Twenty minutes in and Roma are asserting themselves with good pressure.  They use the ball and space so beautifully at time with a cavalcade of slick passing, mobile players and not really too much to trouble Frey.  Totti gets free but scuffs his shot with too much time to think about what he wants to do with the ball. 

When La Viola do break Roma surge back in numbers, at one point stifling the attack and regaining possession with seven players and the 'keeper in the area. 

The dominant Roma midfield keeps possession well and forces the odd aimless hoof from Fiorentina, still the Giallorossi don't really trouble Frey. 

Cicinho comes closest but as a result of a clearance not some slick passage of play, Frey's hands are stung but he stays firm. 

Disaster strikes Prandelli's side when Mutu evades the Roma offside trap.  One on one with Doni he goes wide but the astute Doni keeps his feet and times his challenge well; he wins the ball although his momentum sweeps Mutu awkwardly off his feet.  Mutu's left knee is not well and he is replaced by Papa Wiago.  The new signing forces Prandelli into changing to a 4 5 1. 

 

Spalletti must have lit a fire under the hairy Montenegrin's arse at half time as Vucinic, pushed wider on the left plays like a man possessed. 

Prandelli and his number two must have talked fashion and football as Fiorentina don't come out hard as they did in the first half. 

 

Vucinic runs at Fiorentina and terrorizes Ujfalusi with his pace and directness.  His run and shot forces another good save from Frey. 

Fiorentina step it up some and try to utilize the space left by Roma's pressing, this works well although Vieri needs to be in the middle and not making poor crosses from wide left. 

The game heats up and flows faster from end to end until Roma make the vital breakthrough, well Vucinic's vim, verve and pace create the breakthrough. 

Ujfalusi needs help and Gamberini keeps being pulled wide to provide it.  Roma are on the front foot and a ball from De Rossi out to Vucinic pulls the defenders wide, his pace and touch allow him to make space for a shot, one deflection takes it into the path of three Roma players and Cicinho is cool enough to finish past a well stranded Frey. 

Fiorentina's response is only a moment or two in coming. 

Montolivo; playing inside more now; finds Papa Wiago on the right, the Senegalese pass inside finds Kuzmanovic and the youngster takes paint off the crossbar with Doni statuesque or positionally challenged. 

Normalcy soon returns to the Stadio Olimpico and Vucinic continues his campaign of terror against Ujfalusi and this time the entire Fiorentina defence is static and the ball behind them finds Totti who forces yet another great save from the much talked about Frey. 

Roma; as is their wont; seem to be incapable of stuffing the game down their opponents throats and start to ease of the gas, they sit deeper and deeper and let Fiorentina have more of the ball.  La Viola can't really do much with it so maybe the tactic is sound. 

Numerous substitutions change the complexion of the game after the hour as Roma go more defensive and Fiorentina form up in a 4 4 2. 

Roma defend well and Fiorentina miss the sheer Mutuness of their inured Romanian striker. 

The highlight of the last quarter is Ujfalusi being punished for blatantly stealing ten or so yards on a throw in, the referee calmly watches his pilfering before blowing his whistle and awarding the throw to the home side.  The Roma Tifosi liked that one, Ujfalusi is steaming. 

The final flurry sees a stupid Cicinho pick up a needless red; his petulant kicking the ball away earns him a second yellow and an early bath. 

Gamberini comes close again in the dying minutes and can't use the time he has to aim better, his header is watched wide by Doni. 

 

Back up to a four point lead in second will please Spalletti.  Cicinho will not although the midweek game against Inter will test his tactical grit. 

Roma were so sublime and beautiful in parts but also pretty slack in others; Ferrari and Aquilani almost handed La Viola the equalizer with some atrociously shoddy defending.  He has plenty of personnel but how best to utilize them?  Three points and a pretty comfortable win - Spalletti will have a good polish tonight. 

 

Prandelli will be distraught; but eminently fashionable; with the knee injury Mutu sustained.  His side lacks a lot without the Romanian and his goals. 

Admittedly not his first team Fiorentina played well in a few first half spells and made Doni work.  The other eighty minutes they weren't much kop.  The battle for the European places and a UEFA Cup won't get any easier. 

 

Morganti was actually very good.  This is nice to see in a referee these days.  He didn't have any tell tale 'fat wallet' bulges in his shorts either so neither Totti nor Juve nor anyone else can have reason to complain. 

 

 

AS Roma:-

Doni

Cicinho

Ferrari

Mexes

Tonetto

De Rossi

Aquilani

Taddei (Perotta 65)

Vucinic (Cassetti 67)

Giuly (Pizarro 79)

Totti

 

Bookings:-

De Rossi

Perotta

Cicinho (R )

 

Goals:-

Cicinho 53

 

 

Fiorentina:-

Frey

Ujfalusi

Gamberini

Kroldrup

Gobbi

Kuzmanovic

Jorgenson (Liverani 76)

Montolivo (Cacia 67)

Semioli

Mutu (Papa Waigo 42)

Vieri

 

Goals:-

 

Bookings:-

Vieri

 

Referee:-

Emilio Morganti

 

Nice to hear Christian Miles of FSC talk about the team sheet graphics; he said, "Here are our projected line ups" That is so appreciated Christian.  Makes you and FSC look so much better and is much preferred to you and FSC being just plain wrong. 

Today at least you got the team sheet graphics for this game spot on.