Uefa Cup: Fiorentina - Rangers

Penalties 2-4

Both teams fancied their chances of joining Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester, following the goalless draw in the first leg in Glasgow last week.

Fiorentina came into this game at full strength, as Marco Donadel returned from suspension. Fabio Liverani was preferred to Zdravko Kuzmanovic, as was Massimo Gobbi to Manuel Pasqual in the left back position.

Rangers had numerous injuries, with Stevie Naismith, Chris Burke, Allan McGregor, Lee McCulloch and DaMarcus Beasley all sidelined. David Weir picked up a groin injury against Celtic at the weekend, as did Steven Davis, but both recovered to play. Barry Ferguson and Kevin Thomson returned from suspension.

First Half

Fiorentina started with intent, and Carlos Cuellar was forced into a crucial challenge to prevent Gobbi getting onto the end of a give-and-go. The pattern of the game resembled that from the first leg, with the Viola looking to attack, and Rangers sitting deep waiting to counter-attack.

There was little space for Fiorentina to penetrate, and the next attempt didn’t arrive until the 19th minute when Riccardo Montolivo shot straight at Neil Alexander from long range.

Adrian Mutu held off Brahim Hemdani but didn’t get hold of his effort, while Montolivo shot wildly over from distance.

Fiorentina began to up the pressure, and Rangers were slightly fortunate when Alexander’s fumble from a Gobbi cross didn’t prove costly.

A delightful chipped pass from Fabio Liverani found Montolivo and his cut back caused Rangers’ hearts to stop inside the six yard box, before the danger was cleared.

Fiorentina’s best chance so far arrived on the half-hour as Liverani intelligently located Mutu on the edge of the box in a pre-worked free kick, but the Romanian’s shot couldn’t find its way through the mass of bodies.

Mutu saw another shot charged down, as the home side really searched for the breakthrough. Pazzini, who was finding Cuellar a difficult proposition, then headed well wide from a corner.

Fiorentina received a blow just before half time as Donadel failed to run off an injury and had to be replaced by Kuzmanovic.

Second Half

Into the second half and the attack versus defence pattern continued. Martin Jorgensen burst forward from right back and fired over, as did Mutu somewhat disappointingly.

Fiorentina had a fine chance to break the deadlock on 51 minutes as Mutu fired in a ball from the left, and Pazzini flashed a shot past Alexander’s near post.

The Viola were camped in the visitors half now, winning a succession of corners, and Mutu headed wide from one of these.

The ex-Chelsea man was involved in everything now, and he curled a low free kick wide from just outside the box. Pazzini then missed his kick as Rangers defended for their lives.

Just past the hour mark a miss-kick from Kuzmanovic, following a corner, fell to Ujfalusi, who thumped a ferocious half volley just over the bar.

The game was embarrassingly one-sided as almost the entire second half was played inside the Rangers half, but Fiorentina just couldn’t find a way past the bus parked in front of the goal. Montolivo fizzed in a long-range shot that went wide.

On 70 minutes Mutu had another free kick attempt, from fully 35 yards. Alexander spilled, but recovered before Pazzini got to the ball.

Jorgensen was the next Viola player to shoot from outside the box but his effort was high, wide and not very handsome.

Rangers had their first shot of the game in the 76th minute, and it was a half-decent chance as Steven Davis profited from an Ujfalusi mistake, but his left footed attempt was weak, and saved easily by Frey.

On 79 minutes Christian Vieri replaced Pazzini, and he should have scored with his first touch, as he fell on the ball with the goal at his mercy following a right-wing free kick.

Vieri missed another chance soon after, as Mutu left Kirk Broadfoot for dead, and his cutback was blazed over by the veteran.

For all Fiorentina’s dominance, Rangers could have stolen the tie on 84 minutes as Steven Whittaker’s curler was beaten away by Frey.

Liverani saw his shot deflected wide, and Kuzmanovic pulled his effort, as Rangers held out to take the game to extra time.

Extra Time

On 91 minutes Vieri missed a third decent chance, screwing his shot on the left just wide of the far post. Minutes later the home side missed another great chance as Gobbi’s cross was headed over the bar from just eight yards out.

Jorgensen whipped in a wicked cross from the right, and Vieri was inches away from being able to turn the ball home.

Substitute Daniel Cousin then had two attempts in quick succession as a tiring Rangers side continued to fight gallantly. Montolivo had his umpteenth long shot of the game, but he pulled the ball horribly wide.

Into the second period of extra time, and it continued to look like it wasn’t going to be Fiorentina’s night. Mutu’s volley was goal-bound but the magnificent Cuellar made yet another superb block.

On 110 minutes Rangers were reduced to ten men as Cousin received a second yellow card for putting his head into Liverani’s face.

Jorgensen flashed in a ball with his left foot that Vieri couldn’t grow enough to reach, as Fiorentina continued to launch wave after wave of attack.

In the space of 30 seconds both sides could have stolen it. First a corner from the right for Rangers caused havoc inside the Fiorentina box. Down the other end, Mutu headed the ball into the ground and over from just six yards out.

In the penultimate minute Vieri volleyed over with his right foot, before the 34-year-old flashed another effort with his stronger foot into the side netting. That was that, as the game moved into a dreaded penalty shootout.

Shootout

Barry Ferguson stepped up for Rangers’ first penalty and was denied by a simply world class one-handed Frey save. Kuzmanovic, Whittaker, Montolivo, and Papac all scored, before Alexander denied Liverani to make it 2-2 after three penalties each. Hemdani scored to put Rangers ahead, before Vieri blazed over. This left Nacho Novo with the chance to put Rangers in the final, and he sent Frey the wrong way to spark glorious scenes on the Rangers bench.

Fiorentina will be wondering just how they managed to lose this match having battered their opponents from start to finish, but Rangers will not mind, as they take on Zenith St Petersburg in the final in Manchester in 13 days time.

Fiorentina: Frey, Jorgensen, Ujfalusi, Gamberini, Gobbi, Donadel (Kuzmanovic 41), Liverani, Montolivo, Santana (Semioli 93), Pazzini (Vieri 78), Mutu

Rangers: Alexander, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Hemdani, Thomson, Davis (Novo 80), Ferguson, Darcheville (Cousin 64)

Penalties

Ferguson (R) – Saved

Kuzmanovic (F) – Goal

Whittaker (R) – Goal

Montolivo (F) – Goal

Papac (R) – Goal

Liverani (F) - Saved

Hemdani (R) – Goal

Vieri (F) – Miss

Novo (R) - Goal