Fiorentina 2-0 Sigma: Piccoli the difference-maker as La Viola kick-off European campaign with victory

Fiorentina put in a dominant display on the night and managed to defeat Czech side Sigma 2-0 in Florence.

The UEFA Conference League tie was a one-sided affair and La Viola dominated for most of the match but they were unable to extend their initial lead till very late on.

Fiorentina pushed early but did not manage their first chances until the ten-minute mark, when Pablo Mari and Edin Dzeko both narrowly missed headers.

Stefano Pioli’s side increased the pressure and went close several times before Roberto Piccoli scored his first goal for the club after a good pass from Ndour.

Piccoli arrived in the summer from Cagliari, just weeks after he joined I Sardi on a permanent deal from Atalanta, after having spent the season on loan in Sardinia.

It was a well taken goal by the forward and La Viola will be hoping it was just the first of many for the forward in the iconic purple kit.

Fiorentina kept up the pressure heading towards the end of the first half, with Luca Ranieri hitting the post from long range and Piccoli having another effort go just wide, although he was offside.

The Sigma defence had difficulty keeping their defensive line in tact all night as Fiorentina consistently looked to exploit it with balls in behind.

Fiorentina push but Sigma dig in

The second-half started as the first ended, with Fiorentina pushing hard for a second goal.

Piccoli continued to be the main source of threat for the hosts, having another good effort blocked.

Sigma were not passive for the entire match, however, and tested David De Gea twice around the hour mark from range.

Fiorentina pushed and pushed but to no avail, leaving them slightly concerned of Sigma’s ability to hit them on the counter.

However, the Czech side failed to muster a genuine opportunity all match and ultimately, Piccoli’s goal was enough to give La Viola all three points. With the last kick of the game, Cher Ndour extended their lead to 2.

Fiorentina’s struggles can be epitomised by a late yellow card for goalkeeper De Gea for time-wasting. La Viola were expected to win the game comfortably and, in the end, they were reduced to wasting time to get the win over the line.

You can follow all the action as it happened on our LiveBlog.