Fiorentina shocked the Rosanero in an open affair to celebrate their first away win of the season. Qasa Alom reports…

‘Meh’ is probably the most fitting interjection for Fiorentina this season…. they sit in 10^th place, with a +1 goal difference, 8 wins, 8 draws  and (yup you’ve guessed it) 8 losses to their name. However after such an indifferent, forgettable and “meh” season, Viola fans finally have something to remember as they scored four away goals to beat a team in the top half for the first time under Sinisa Mihajlovic

Despite Fiorentina’s bright start, it was Palermo’s incisive attacking trident that landed the first blow. In the 7^th minute Josep Ilicic cut the ball back from the right for Pastore’s first time shot to nestle into the top corner; it was El flaco’s 10^th goal in the league this season and puts him into double figures for the first time in his career.

In games gone by Fiorentina may very well have imploded at this point, but not this time as the early warning signs for Palermo were evident. Gilardino missed two one on one chances in quick succession before finally nodding past Sirigu at the back post to bring the scores back level.

Much of the credit for this goal has to be attributed to Montolivo who certainly looks liberated after D’agostino’s relegation to the bench. This 4-3-3 formation plays to his strengths and having both Behrami and Donadel alongside him in the midfield has added the necessary grinta that was lacking in the first half of the season; a point further backed up by the fact that Fiorentina have only lost once in 2011.

Palermo were in disarray and almost went in behind as Behrami – who was having an excellent game – ghosted into the box late, but failed to get enough on Santana’s cross and headed wide.

Much like in the first half L’Aquile came out of the blocks quickest and took the lead within 3 minutes of the restart. Fabrizio Miccoli jinxed his way to the byline and chipped the ball over for Nocerino to head in his third goal of the campaign.

Subsequently Palermo really should have put the game to rest as they sliced through Fiorentina’s defence with a typical array of flicks and attractive passing moves that have seen them garner many fans this season. Ilicic in particularly was a big culprit as he fired a point blank volley straight at Boruc and then tried to be too cute with a Miccoli cut back.

Inevitably the misses were to prove costly, as Javier Pastore turned from hero to villain by leaving Camporese with plenty of time at the back post to control and tuck the corner kick in to score his first ever goal. Then Montolivo almost gave the away side the advantage in stunning fashion soon after, as he stole the ball and instantly smashed the ball past Sirigu to rattle the inside of the post.

Fiorentina finally took the lead and won the game through an inspired substitute performance from Adem Ljajic. Within seconds of coming on, the Serbian starlet played a cracking ball across the goal line from the left that Bovo put through his own net, before driving forward on the other flank and teeing up Montolivo’s composed low drive that secured the points late on.

Overall there were plenty of positives for Fiorentina to take from the game, who are finally starting to build up some momentum. Whereas for Palermo the loss provides a harsh lesson in taking your chances and demonstrated the Sicilians naivety.