Fiorentina dominated Belenenses 4-0 in Portugal with Giuseppe Rossi back on the Europa League scoresheet.
They go second in the group on three points, as Basel beat Lech Poznan 2-0 to lead with six points.
The Viola were top of Serie A for the first time in 16 years, but in dire need of a Europa League boost after their surprise 2-1 home defeat to Basel. Paulo Sousa returned to his homeland and fielded a 3-5-2 that was more like 3-3-4 with forwards Ante Rebic and Federico Bernardeschi as wingers, while Gonzalo Rodriguez was suspended.
Fiorentina dominated Belenenses 4-0 in Portugal with Giuseppe Rossi back on the Europa League scoresheet.
They go second in the group on three points, as Basel beat Lech Poznan 2-0 to lead with six points.
The Viola were top of Serie A for the first time in 16 years, but in dire need of a Europa League boost after their surprise 2-1 home defeat to Basel. Paulo Sousa returned to his homeland and fielded a 3-5-2 that was more like 3-3-4 with forwards Ante Rebic and Federico Bernardeschi as wingers, while Gonzalo Rodriguez was suspended.
Despite this extremely attacking approach, they struggled to create chances as Rebic’s angled drive was deflected to loop on to the roof of the net. There was also a scare, as two unmarked Belenenses players just failed to get on the end of a free kick that flashed across the face of goal.
Fiorentina did break through when a Matias Vecino snapshot was only parried into the path of Bernardeschi to slot home. It was the Italy Under-21 international’s third goal in four Europa League games.
Belenenses almost gifted the Viola a second, but Kuca’s header from a corner bounced off the crossbar of his own goal. The hosts also had penalty appeals for a Nenad Tomovic shirt-tug on Kuca.
Brandao’s crucial interception prevented Matias Vecino sending Khouma Babacar clear on goal.
Fiorentina did double their advantage on the stroke of half-time, as Babacar’s hopeful shot took a big deflection to fly into the near top corner.
Kuca went on a solo run, cutting in from the left, to force Luigi Sepe into a save, while Rebic did the same at the other end on Ventura.
The third goal was a gift, as Tonel came sliding in to prevent Giuseppe Rossi meeting a Jakub Blaszczykowski cross from the right, but only bundled it over his own line.
The icing on the cake was represented by Rossi’s return to the scoresheet, as he ran on to a Milan Badelj assist and kept his cool to pass the ball into the far bottom corner. It was Pepito's first goal for Fiorentina in 501 days.
Belenenses 0-4 Fiorentina
Scorers: Bernardeschi 18 (F), Babacar 45 (F), Tonel og 83 (F), Rossi 90 (F)
Belenenses: Ventura; Geraldes, Tonel, Brandao, Filipe Ferreira; Ruben Pinto; Fabio Sturgeon (Dalcio Gomes 40), Martins (Tiago Caeiro 78), Andre Sousa, Kuca (Fabio Nunes 63); Leal
Fiorentina: Sepe; Tomovic, Astori, Alonso; Vecino, Suarez, Mati Fernandez; Bernardeschi (Badelj 60), Rossi, Babacar (Verdu 78), Rebic (Blaszczykowski 81)
Ref: Stavrev (MKD)