Benitez gets his tactics all wrong

Fiorentina 2 Liverpool 0THEY CALL Cesare Prandelli "Il Mago di Orz" in this part of Tuscany, in deference to the Fiorentina coach's birthplace of Orzinuovi. It was a particularly apt description last night, as The Wizard of Orz left Liverpool pining for the comforts of home.

Prandelli had described Rafael Benitez as his role model before their Champions League meeting, with the Liverpool manager’s supreme organisation given as the reason why. Yet it was mysteriously absent here and, despite a second-half recovery from last season’s quarter-finalists, they found Fiorentina are no shrinking Violas.

Liverpool were typically spirited in the second half. The memories of their first-half display, however, will haunt Benitez. The visitors were woeful, and Martin Skrtel’s calamitous night continued until the conclusion. This was not the investment opportunity George Gillett and Tom Hicks hope to showcase to the world.

Prandelli’s side were energetic and intricate from the start, passing their way through and around a ponderous Liverpool midfield and making no secret of a game-plan that involved targeting the visiting full-backs, Glen Johnson and Emiliano Insua.

A Benitez team has rarely looked as exposed in the Champions League. The anticipated show of experience, used to stifle and then wrestle control from an exuberant host, failed to materialise.

Aurelio’s recovery from a knee injury, combined with a hamstring strain suffered by Javier Mascherano, prompted the manager to deploy the Brazilian defender alongside his compatriot, Lucas, in central midfield.

The idea was to allow Steven Gerrard to impose his talents in the final third rather than in the scrap, but this was one Benitez tactical plan that failed to deliver.

Liverpool were consistently overrun in midfield, with Stevan Jovetic delivering a performance they will not forget and rival managers are sure to take note of.

The 19-year-old Montenegrin, playing off the former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu, wreaked havoc behind the Brazilians, his first touch, disguised passes and movement proving thorns to a vulnerable Liverpool defence.

Jovetic served several warnings of intent before he finally struck, having a shot blocked by Skrtel as Fiorentina exposed Johnson on the right and crossing for Marco Marchionni to send an overhead kick just over Jose Reina’s crossbar.

The Italians were soon deservedly in front. A poor ball by Yossi Benayoun, followed by weak challenges in central midfield, allowed Cristiano Zanetti to step forward and thread the ball through to Jovetic. Mutu was clearly offside, the teenager clearly not, and he tucked the ball low beyond Reina.

Then Marchionni, not for the first time, left Insua trailing and his cross fell to Vargas via Skrtel’s imposing forehead. Vargas shot low again, and this time Jovetic was on hand to deflect the ball inside the near post.

There was greater urgency about the visitors after the interval, with Gerrard finally re-establishing his understanding with Fernando Torres, Kuyt more prominent and Fiorentina almost permanently on the back foot.

Benayoun weaved his way into the home area from Johnson’s long ball to test Sebastien Frey for the first time a minute after the restart. Lucas headed the resultant corner inches over, clipping the net and bringing Liverpool’s travelling support to its feet in premature celebration.

Massimo Gobbi blocked a Gerrard volley at the back post and the stadium erupted when Torres was eased aside by Alessandro Gamberini as the Spaniard ran at the defence for the first time.

GuardianService

FIORENTINA: Frey, Comotto, Dainelli, Gamberini, Gobbi, Zanetti, Montolivo, Marchionni (De Silvestri 89), Jovetic, Vargas (Jorgensen 74), Mutu (Donadel 82). Subs not used: Avramov, Kroldrup, Castillo, Pasqual.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua (Babel 72), Gerrard, Lucas, Benayoun, Kuyt (Voronin 80), Aurelio, Torres. Subs not used: Cavalieri, Riera, Kyrgiakos, Spearing, Plessis.

Referee: Felix Brych (Germany).