The Viola were in crisis after their 3-0 midweek defeat at Lazio, which Cesare Prandelli called "the worst in my three years here." Although there is a Champions League match coming up, he resisted the urge to rest his stars, albeit giving Franco Semioli a rare start.

Genoa hitman Diego Milito received a call from Argentina after four goals in his first three Serie A games, but was rested for this match, while Sokratis Papastathopoulous received his Italian debut. Aware they had lost their first two away games, Gian Piero Gasperini adopted a more defensive approach.

In the opening three minutes Adrian Mutu nodded a Semioli corner kick just past the near post.

A Riccardo Montolivo snapshot from distance brought a tough save out of Rubinho, as the ball on the bounce swerved in the air.

Alberto Gilardino earned a series of dangerous free kicks around the box. Genoa lost Omar Milanetto five minutes before half-time, making way for Ivan Juric.

A Per Kroldrup backpass almost caught Sebastien Frey off-guard, but it was all Fiorentina and Marco Donadel's piledriver from outside the box was deflected out.

Genoa eventually made a tactical change, introducing Milito for Giandomenico Mesto and returning to the habitual 3-4-3 system. It seemed to have an immediate effect, as within a minute Frey had spilled Ruben Olivera's strike from distance.

Milito then gathered Marco Rossi's pass and his low drive brought a splendid reaction save out of Frey to turn it over the bar.

Gilardino tried to chest down a Donadel pass and turn between three defenders, but Domenico Criscito came sliding in for a decisive challenge from nine yards.

The game sprung to life and a well-worked Fiorentina move almost led to a goal, as Donadel's low angled drive was fingertipped on to the outside of the post by a stunning Robinho save.

Mutu should've gone for goal rather than knock his header down to Gilardino from close range.

The deadlock was eventually broken in fantastic fashion. A corner was knocked down and Gilardino had his back to goal with three defenders around him, but he still managed to spin round and smash a snooker-shot into the far bottom corner where the goalkeeper simply couldn't get to it.

Gilardino suffered a knee twinge during that move and was replaced by Giampaolo Pazzini. Genoa had a problem too, as Bocchetti was suffering from cramp, but had to continue for the final 20 minutes because the substitutions had already been completed.

Pazzini blasted over on the bounce, then Mutu lost his balance when pouncing on a defensive error.

Genoa weren't out of it yet, as Kroldrup's deflection on a Raffaele Palladino cross whistled wide of his own goal. Daniel Pablo Osvaldo replaced a tired Mutu and he tested Rubinho almost immediately with a couple of good attempts.

Genoa very nearly equalised in stoppages, but Frey bravely flew out to punch a Criscito flick off the head of Olivera from six yards.

There was time for another splendid save at the other end, as Rubinho palmed an Osvaldo rocket round the near post with the last kick of the game.