I understand lunchtime kick offs aren’t a familiar tradition in Serie A . Fiorentina hosted Ac Milan in one of the few deviations from the norm and in the warm Florence sun, the opening exchanges were pretty much a Sunday football local team affair. Misplaced passes, lethargic runs and a rather quiet crowd content to while away the Sunday afternoon. Except, of course, when Montolivo got on the ball.
That man, Montolivo, the story of how friend turns foe. How hero turns villain. Of how allegiances swiftly change in football, with a flip in circumstances. For his case, it was a change of jerseys. First, the Italian international hustles Pizzaro on the ball.
Deep into his own half and facing his own goal, Pizzaro appears to shrug off Montolivo’s undue attention and as he makes the turn to change defense into attack, an unfortunate slip gifts the ball to Montolivo. An onrushing keeper and a composed Montolivo combine to give Milan the opener. He celebrates. The jeers from the stands quieted.
Fast forward to the start of the second half and ten man Fiorentina are playing with much purpose. Adversity has a way to bring out the best in a man. To a man, Fiorentina felt hard done by the referee. Card after card as Ac Milan played to the gallery. It all culminated some seven minutes, give or take, to the end of the first half when last man Nenad Tomovicgot sent off after El Shaarawy rather easily tumbled in a tussle for the ball.
However, with the constant jeers from the partisan crowd, it was the the other man facing adversity who shinned like a diamond. A brief spell of control by Milan. Montolivo works his way to the right wing, under pressure; he unexpectedly makes a low cross into the area. It’s only his teammate, former Arsenal man Flamini, anticipating. The Frenchman delicately side foots the ball into the bottom left. Goal two for Milan. Flamini’s first of the season.
‘Milan sinks Fiorentina in Florence’. ‘Fiorentina’s Champions League hopes dented by Milan’. At this point, I imagine those would have been the headlines on the back pages of Italian dailies. Two goals down, ten men, a stefan Jovetic substituted at the end of the first through injury and an in form Ac Milan, there seemed to be no way back for Fiorentina. That, until
65:14 Ljaijc with an expected weaving run down the right into the box is clipped, or appears to have been clipped, penalty. The Serbian sends Abbiati the wrong way; Goal and Fiorentina have a life line. 2-1
72:01 In swinging cross from the left and Juan Cuadradodelightfully controlled it, skipped past Mattia De Sciglio got hacked down. Unlike the first, this one’s a clear penalty. Pizzaro dispatches and with that, villain turns hero.
2-2 it is, game on we thought. The remaining 28 mins were a typical Italian affair. Counter attacking football with a psychological edge. More yellow cards and exaggerated fouls. Milan had a shout for penalty that was turned down. In the end, a deserved 2-2 draw. We are pretty sure Florence is celebrating.
