Source: Daily_Mail
Fiorentina 2 Liverpool 0: Fright night as Benitez stunned by purple patch
Liverpool's proud European pedigree lay in tatters here in the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Tuesday night, torn apart by a club who were buried under an avalanche of debt and forced out of existence barely seven years ago.
Rafa Benitez’s side arrived in the heart of Tuscany unbeaten on their travels in Champions League group games since slipping up against Besiktas in October 2007, but they were simply no match for reborn, revitalised Fiorentina.
The Violas were true to their name with a first-half purple patch that produced goals for teenage sensation Stevan Jovetic and left Liverpool with no way back after being run ragged during one of the most humiliating 45 minutes Benitez can have had to endure.
Stevan Jovetic scores his second of the evening past Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina
Two good: Jovetic strikes his second of the evening past a stranded Pepe Reina
There is still plenty of time for the setback to be banished from Liverpool minds and their customary route into the knock-out stages safely negotiated, but it may take some doing, such was the extent of their discomfort.
They scarcely fashioned a single opening in a first half spent chasing shadows. Even a belated second-half recovery passed without any serious suggestion they might save face.
This against a side who were facing the bleakest of futures after going out of business at the end of the 2001-02 season. Unable to pay wages, they were forced to fold.
Although re-established within a matter of months, they were obliged to start a new existence in the Italian League’s fourth tier.
They soon worked their way through the divisions and are now back in their pomp, a slick-passing, quick-moving team with vibrant support — as outclassed Liverpool discovered to their cost.
More...
* Fiorentina v Liverpool: How the action unfolded
* Tom Hicks and George Gillett open door to fresh investors at Liverpool
* Kuyt is so good he could even play in defence, claims Liverpool boss Benitez
* LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB
There was no containing 19-year old front-runner Jovetic, who could hardly be considered an unknown quantity after becoming a £6million target for Manchester United and Real Madrid during his early days with Partizan Belgrade.
The Montenegro striker opted for the delights of Florence instead. If he likes what he sees as he takes in the enduring appeal of one of the great architectural and artistic centres of the world, it is
fair to say the locals approve of what they see when they turn up on matchdays.
Stevan Jovetic opens the scoring for Fiorentina
Shaping up: Montenegro international Jovetic gets Serie A side Fiorentina off to a perfect start, scoring the opening goal against the five-time European champions
The flamboyant forward is already being hailed as Fiorentina’s answer to Fernando Torres and it was easy to see why as he extended his goal tally for the season to seven with two decisive strikes in quick succession.
He had already forced a last-ditch saving tackle by Martin Skrtel and dragged a shot wide when he punished the flatfooted Liverpool defence in the 28th minute.
When Lucas lost possession, the influential Cristiano Zanetti needed no second invitation to thread the ball through to the lurking Jovetic.
Liverpool arms immediately shot up in the hope of Adrian Mutu being flagged offside, but German referee Felix Brych ruled that the former Chelsea striker was not interfering with play and allowed Jovetic to continue his run and confront Pepe Reina in a one-on-one.
Steven Gerrard and Riccardo Montolivo
No way out: Montolivo (L) looks on Gerrard fails to conjure any inspiration for his Liverpool team-mates
The Liverpool keeper has a formidable record in such individual contests but was left floundering
on this occasion as the nerveless Fiorentina youngster calmly buried the chance in the bottom
corner to send a vociferous home
support into raptures.
Reina had to be at his best to fist away a spectacular first-time volley by Juan Vargas from way out on the left that said everything about Fiorentina’s growing self-assurance and mounting belief that they were on the verge of a
significant achievement.
The feeling was reinforced in the 37th minute as Jovetic doubled rampant Fiorentina’s lead.
Liverpool were all over the place again, but there was still plenty to admire about the way one of Serie A’s form teams carved them open — starting with a change of pace and turn of speed from Marco Marchionni that took him gliding past Emiliano Insua on the right.
A cross hoisted beyond the far post was met by Vargas’ trusted left boot and Jovetic did the rest with a close-range finish that marked him down as a natural predator as well as a skilled ball player.
Fernando Torres and Dario Dainelli
Caught up: Fernando Torres is squeezed out as he fails to trouble the scoreline
Liverpool’s players were glad of the half-time whistle, although they may have changed their tune when they reached the away dressing room and walked into some stern words from a distinctly unimpressed Benitez.
There was an early warning for Fiorentina that they were up against a different proposition in the second half, as Lucas met a Fabio Aurelio corner with an unchallenged header that should have gone under the bar rather than fractionally over it.
Stats Zone
Dirk Kuyt forced a diving save from Sebastien Frey with a fierce, angled drive in the 49th minute and Massimo Gobbi got in the way of a Steven Gerrard drive just as it looked bound for the net in the 62nd minute.
By then, time was fast running out, a conclusion shared by a celebrating home crowd who cheered their heroes over the line for the most deserved of victories.
What a contrast to the mood in the Liverpool camp, perhaps best illustrated by the sight of Skrtel being left flat on his heels by the irrepressible Jovetic in the 79th minute and standing with his hands on his hips in utter despair, rather than giving chase. It was that sort of night for Liverpool.
One in which they were supposed to equal Bayern Munich’s record of scoring in 22 successive games in the Champions League proper but drew a blank in every sense of the word.
