Fiorentina vs. Inter Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
Fiorentina downed Inter 3-0 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday, thanks to two spectacular first-half goals and a generally excellent all-round performance.
Khouma Babacar gave the home side the lead early on with a wonderful strike from outside the box before Juan Cuadrado repeated the dose 12 minutes later to give his side a 2-0 lead within 20 minutes.
Inter had plenty of time to respond, but in the end they produced very little in the way of chances. It was Fiorentina who extended their lead through Nenad Tomovic in the second term.
It was a thoroughly convincing display from Vincenzo Montella's side and another disappointing one from the Nerazzurri, who appear to be entering something of a crisis.
Here are the winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Khouma Babacar
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Senegalese youngster Babacar scored the type of goal that will feature in his career-highlights package when he hangs up his boots in many years' time.
As the teams wrestled for control of the match in the opening stages, the 21-year-old gave Fiorentina the advantage when he smashed in a spectacular goal.
With nothing much on, Babacar made a fraction of space for himself on the edge of the box before sending a scorching, swerving shot past Samir Handanovic in the Inter goal to send the home crowd wild.
Aside from putting his side in front, the lanky striker gave Inter's defenders plenty to think about over the entire match with a vibrant display.
Loser: Andrea Ranocchia
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He may be Inter's captain, but Andrea Ranocchia is hardly an indispensable member of the starting XI.
The centre-back is a sound defender who is prone to the occasional error; however he seems to lack the charisma to lead the side.
Though he cannot cop the blame for Fiorentina's first two goals, Ranocchia was the man who made way on the hour-mark when Mazzarri was attempting to mix things up, not one of the other defenders in Nemanja Vidic or Juan Jesus.
That alone indicates where Inter's supposed leader sits in the pecking order.
Winner: Nenad Tomovic
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Nobody deserved a goal more in this game than Fiorentina right-back Nenad Tomovic.
The Serb was faultless in defence all night and started to push forward as it became clearer that Fiorentina were safe in their lead.
His goal was not quite as stunning as the two previous Viola efforts, but the 27-year-old will be proud of a great dribble and strike nonetheless.
Loser: Walter Mazzarri
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Nothing Inter coach Walter Mazzarri tried on Sunday night worked out for him.
His starting lineup featured two holding midfielders in Gary Medel and Yann M'Vila, but that didn't stop Fiorentina's strikers from achieving long-range scoring without anyone shutting them down.
After his side went two goals down, Mazzarri was then too slow to make changes, and when he did, they were largely ineffective.
He brought on midfielder Hernanes for defender Ranocchia in the 58th minute, but the tactical shuffle did little to alter the course of the match.
As a manager, Mazzarri is sometimes accused of being too set in his ways and conservative. He needs to come up with some new ideas if Inter are to get out of their current slump.
Loser: Mateo Kovacic
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Croatian playmaker Mateo Kovacic has had a bright start to the season in general, but this match was one he would rather forget.
The 20-year-old's talent is undeniable, and he showed the odd flash of brilliance in Florence, but he largely disappointed on a night where Inter failed to create enough chances.
Perhaps it is a maturity issue, but Kovacic cannot be regarded as a great trequartista until he produces the goods on a weekly basis.
