Juan Manuel Vargas, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Bernardeschi gave Fiorentina a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Guingamp.
Juan Manuel Vargas, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Bernardeschi gave Fiorentina a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Guingamp.
The Viola kept a relatively unchanged line-up for this Europa League opener, but gave Ciprian Tatarusanu and Jose Maria Basanta their first starts with Gonzalo Rodriguez suspended, Marko Marin and Giuseppe Rossi injured. Guingamp qualified for this tournament by winning the French Cup.
An early Mario Gomez header was denied and Juan Cuadrado had penalty appeals for a cross charged down by Dorian Leveque’s arm.
Gomez had the ball in the net, but only after he’d been flagged offside, while Jeremy Pied drilled just wide for the visitors and Mamadou Samassa got back to deal with a Cuadrado lob.
Fiorentina did find a breakthrough with Juan Manuel Vargas, who got a rare career header when anticipating Baissama Sankoh to nod in a taut Jasmin Kurtic cross from the right.
There was more good news moments later, as Moustapha Diallo received his second yellow card for a mistimed tackle on David Pizarro and left Guingamp down to 10 men.
Milan Badelj made his Fiorentina debut after the break, as did Micah Richards, but Samassa performed a decisive save on Pizarro’s angled drive from distance.
Tatarusanu did have something to do and was alert on Claude Beauvue’s long-range screamer. It proved an important moment, as soon after Fiorentina doubled their lead.
Cuadrado snuck round the back of the French defence to get on the end of Pizarro’s inspired assist, drilling into the far corner.
Pizarro also tried to set up Richards, but the first touch let him down and Guingamp were able to scramble clear.
Richards made his mark on his debut, providing the assist for Italy Under-21 international Bernardeschi’s late goal, though the Azzurrini man did most of the work with a precise left-foot strike into the far corner.
Fiorentina 3-0 Guingamp
Scorers: Vargas 34 (F), Cuadrado 67 (F), Bernardeschi 88 (F)
Fiorentina: Tatarusanu; Tomovic, Basanta, Savic (Richards 56), Pasqual; Kurtic, Pizarro, Borja Valero (Badelj 46); Cuadrado (Bernardeschi 71), Gomez, Vargas
Guingamp: Samassa; Sankoh, Kerbrat, Angoua, Leveque; Pied (Giresse 61), Diallo, Mathis, Beauvue; Marveaux (Yatabare 52), Mandanne (Douniama 71)
Ref: Lechnet (AUT)
Sent off: Diallo 38 (G)