Fiorentina 0-0 Sampdoria - Rivals battle out stalemate

Posted Sunday, February 20, 2011 by PA

Fiorentina and Sampdoria battled out a goalless Serie A draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi which did little to boost either side's cause.

There was no shortage of chances but neither team could find the breakthrough and both finished the weekend in the bottom half of the standings.

The home team started the brighter of the two, but were unable to capitalise.

Alberto Gilardino fired wide from 20 yards in the fifth minute and then Valon Behrami burst towards the Samp box and got his shot away but goalkeeper Gianluca Curci was equal to it.

Lorenzo de Silvestri played a perfect cross from the right wing to Alessandro Gamberini on the half-hour, but his header flew over the bar.

Samp's first sight of goal arrived three minutes later when Daniele Gastaldello nodded over the bar from a corner.

The visitors began the get a foothold in the game as the half wore on, and created a couple more chances before the break.

Daniele Dessena's effort from a tight angle drifted wide before Fiorentina goalkeeper Artur Boruc pulled off a brilliant diving save to prevent a long-range Reto Ziegler blast from finding the top-right corner.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with the hosts applying the early pressure.

Adrian Mutu sent an attempt wide from the edge of the area and then Gilardino headed over from Manuel Pasqual's cross.

A Marchionni mistake at the other end set up Samp midfielder Angelo Palombo, but he put too much onto his attempted lob.

Daniele Mannini did make Boruc work just after the hour but the former Celtic keeper made the save.

Not to be outdone, Curci produced a fine stop to deny Mutu from the edge of the box after neat interplay with substitute Adem Ljajic.

The chances kept arriving at each end in the closing stages, Gamberini heading wide with Curci well beaten and Mannini's low shot from a difficult angle going just wide with Boruc helpless.

Gilardino had one last chance to seal the points in stoppage time but his close-range header from substitute Juan Manuel Vargas' cross was blocked on the line by Curci.