Fiorentina too good for Udinese

Fiorentina have closed the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan to a single point after cruising to a 3-0 win over Udinese this afternoon.

The Viola almost opened the scoring in the third minute when Nikola Kalinic was picked out at the front post, but he could not squeeze his attempt beyond Orestis Karnezis.

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Marcos Alonso was next to threaten for the hosts as he latched onto Borja Valero's threaded pass and fired a low strike towards the near post that was turned behind by the keeper.

Fiorentina finally made their pressure count in the 26th minute when Milan Badelj's low strike took a deflection off Kalinic and wrong-footed Karnezis as the ball crept into the back of the net.

Four minutes later Silvan Widmer almost conjured up an equaliser for the visitors, but after meeting Francesco Lodi's free kick he could only head against the post.

Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu then headed Edenilson's teasing cross a few yards over the bar as Udinese began to grow in confidence.

Fiorentina almost doubled their lead just before half time as Kalinic raced into the six-yard box to meet Alonso's low delivery, but he was only able to turn the ball over.

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The hosts did not look as threatening in the early stages of the second half, but as the game edged past the hour mark they were awarded a penalty when Agyemang-Badu bundled over Kalinic inside the box.

Josip Ilicic took the resulting spot kick and emphatically dispatched his attempt into the top corner to give Fiorentina a two-goal lead.

Within minutes Udinese squandered a huge chance to halve the deficit as substitute Antonio Di Natale turned the ball over the bar from close range after being picked out unmarked in the middle by Widmer.

As the visitors pushed more players forward, they were left exposed on the counter attack and Alonso nearly punished them again when his low cross from the left almost picked out the far corner.

However, the Viola did not have to wait too much longer to score a third, as Gonzalo Rodriguez headed in from Manuel Pasqual's corner to wrap up the points and ensure a return to winning ways for his side.