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An Adrian Mutu screamer maintained fourth place for Fiorentina despite a plucky Catania performance.
The Viola returned from their midweek UEFA Cup victory in Norway aware a win was needed here to stave off Milan's challenge for fourth place. Catania were without a win in six and missed Gionatha Spinesi, Taka Morimoto, Rocco Sabato and the suspended Christian Terlizzi.
The Sicilians had never won here in Serie A with just four draws - the most recent in 1971 - and six defeats. Surprisingly Mark Edusei and Giuseppe Mascara were left on the bench.
Lorenzo Stovini stuck by Adrian Mutu to charge down the shot, while Catania threatened with Davide Baiocco starting and finishing a move off target.
Riccardo Montolivo's acrobatic pass with the outside of his right foot found Pazzini's volley just wide of the target.
Mutu flashed an angled drive across the face of goal in a precarious position, skimming the base of the far post by a matter of inches.
The deadlock was finally broken just before the break when Zradko Kuzmanovic got ahead of his marker for a header into the ground from Mario Alberto Santana's right-channel cross.
Mutu's spectacular overhead kick went past the bar and Silvestri did well to charge down Pazzini's effort, then the Romanian again went close with a shot across the face of goal.
There was bad news for the Viola, as Sebastien Frey picked up a thigh problem in the first half that eventually forced him off the field. Replacement Vlada Avramov, on his Serie A debut, fumbled a Silvestri free kick and was fortunate Mascara fired over from the edge of the box.
Vargas ensured it wasn't a good start for Avramov, as a corner came out to the D where he unleashed a powerful strike that whistled past the goalkeeper and drew Catania level.
Fiorentina were under pressure, but Mutu restored their advantage with a stunning strike. He chested down the ball 30 metres from goal, ran forward and hit an absolute right-foot scorcher into the top corner of the net.
Avramov did well to deny Vargas at the near post, as Fiorentina took home the three points.
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