Fiorentina booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a narrow win over Lyon in Group E which also sent Liverpool out of the competition. A Juan Vargas penalty in the 28th minute was enough to see the Viola successfully navigate their way through the group stages for the first time in their history, joining opponents Lyon in the knockout phase and condemning the Reds to the Europa League.
A sell-out crowd of over 35,000 witnessed Fiorentina’s historic achievement as they also became the first Italian representatives to qualify for the knockout round this year.
The Viola sensed their opportunity to qualify and attacked from the outset. Mario Santana almost put them ahead in the 11th minute with a fine control and volley from the edge of the penalty area, which struck Hugo Lloris’ right-hand post.
The ball bounced out to Alberto Gilardino, who instinctively poked the ball back towards the goal, but the Lyon goalkeeper showed equally sharp reactions to push his effort wide for a corner.
The danger was not over, however, as Gilardino met the resulting corner with a header that brushed the opposite post.
Fiorentina continued to probe and they were rewarded in the 27th minute when Lyon defender Aly Cissokho unnecessarily hacked Marco Marchionni down inside the area to give away a penalty.
The Viola midfielder had cut in well from the right, but Cissokho’s team-mate Cris was covering and about to put the ball behind for a corner when the full-back lunged in from behind to leave the referee no choice but to award the spot-kick.
With first-choice penalty takers Adrian Mutu and Stevan Jovetic both injured, Vargas took responsibility to score his first goal of the season at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, placing his penalty into the top left-hand corner of the goal to put the Viola in front.
Lyon’s first effort on goal came early in the second half when Miralem Pjanic sent a 20-yard volley just wide of the post. But Fiorentina remained in control of the game and had two excellent chances to double their lead, with Gilardino missing both.
His first, in the 58th minute, was the harder of the two as he dragged his shot wide of the far post, but he should have done better 10 minutes later when he was left alone in the centre, but failed to make a good enough contract from eight yards out with just Lloris to beat.
In between, Cissokho made up for his earlier foul inside the penalty area with an immaculately timed and clean challenge to take the ball away from Marchionni just as he was preparing to shoot.
Lyon finally got into gear with 15 minutes remaining, helped also by a retreating Fiorentina who decided to shut up shop early.
Pjanic tested Frey with a direct free-kick in the 79th minute which the Fiorentina goalkeeper somehow managed to push away with his upper arms.
Lyon intensified their attempts to equalise with two more dangerous Pjanic free-kicks both finding only the wall.
Frey then made impeccable saves to deny Jean Makoun and Lisandro Lopez as the home side held on to take their place alongside their opponents in the next round.
