Fiorentina made a winning start to their Europa League Group E campaign with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Pacos Ferreira.
Serie A outfit ease to comfortable victory over Pacos Ferreira
Fiorentina made a winning start to their Europa League Group E campaign with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Pacos Ferreira.
Gonzalo Rodriguez put the Italians on their way on the half-hour mark before substitute Ryder Matos extended Fiorentina's lead in the 67th minute.
Giuseppe Rossi then made it 3-0 with 14 minutes remaining.
Fiorentina, playing their first game without striker Mario Gomez and winger Juan Cuadrado, both out injured, were on the front foot from the off.
Marco Alonso's left-footed volley took a deflection off a Pacos defender and went just wide of the far post.
Fiorentina broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Rodriguez rose highest to head Rossi's corner and beat visiting goalkeeper Matias Degra.
The home side should have doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time after Degra fumbled Massimo Ambrosini's cross on the box but the Pacos defence was able to clear the threat.
The Portuguese outfit had the first chance of the game three minutes after the restart.
Fiorentina goalkeeper Murara Neto was forced into a full-length stretch to save Tony's bullet strike from outside the area.
Pacos wasted a good chance on the hour mark when Bebe fed Christian Irobiso in the box and his right-footed went wide.
The Italians, who had a 62nd minute goal disallowed for offside, doubled their lead soon after.
Matos, who had replaced Joaquin one minute earlier, got behind Borja Valero's pass and his six-yard shot into the lower right corner beat Degra.
Rossi capped off a wonderful evening for the hosts when he fired a left-footed strike from 12 yards to the far post where Degra could not reach.
