Lazio v Fiorentina: Grinding Out a Win

After Wednesday’s disastrous loss to Parma, it was really nice to see Fiorentina come out and take three points off a good team, particularly because they did it with graft and resilience, rather than with their customary flare and forcing of the pace. Lazio dominated the first half, attacking so aggressively the Viola were unable to pressure the opposing backs, and ended up doing a lot of chasing instead. The whole thing looked incredibly frustrating for Toni and Mutu, as Lazio piled up corners and Fiorentina spent so much time defending that no one was available to counter when they won possession.

In the second half, though, the Viola held on to the ball much more effectively and were able to mount a few more threats. They never attacked with the one-touch magic they’ve showed at times this season, but they kept at it and eventually capitalized on one of Lazio’s few gaffes at the back; after that, it was all about defending and, when you’ve got Sebastian Frey behind you, any lead seems pretty secure. (Is a goalkeeper of the season picked in Serie A? Because if one is, all of my votes are for Frey — he’s been fantastic week-in and week-out, and has been as important to Fiorentina’s success this season as either Toni or Mutu.)

Also: How I love to watch Montolivo. He never stops running, and seems to enjoy defending as much as he does spearheading the attack; even when he’s not playing with his usual sharpness, it’s just thrilling to watch the passion and joy with which he plays. (And I’m 99% sure I’m not making this stuff up, because I’d only do that if he was really, really pretty and I was looking for an good excuse to like him. And, you know, since he looks like a fish, it’s unlikely that’s going on.)

Category: Fiorentina, Lazio, Results, Serie A

Tags: Fiorentina, Lazio, Mutu, Results, Ricardo Montolivo, Sebastian Frey, Serie A, Toni

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