Gomez's Goals Can Shatter Fiorentina's Glass Ceiling

Despite a campaign which saw La Viola finish just two points behind third place, and achieve their highest standing in Serie A since 2009-10, many fans of Fiorentina will have felt heartbroken on the final day of last season. With fifteen minutes of their home fixture against Pescara remaining, Fiorentina were 2-0 in front and headed for the Champions League, and only a two-goal comeback for Milan away to Siena could deny them. Inevitably, the Rossoneri were able to conjure their unlikely comeback via a dubious penalty from that famous final-day specialist Maro Balotelli, and Phillipe Mexes' close-range winner in the 87th minute.

Astute: Vincenzo Montella has overseen a renaissance in Florence

It was a harsh conclusion to the season for Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina, who had lit up Serie A with a free-flowing brand of attacking football. Indeed, only eventual runners-up Napoli managed to score more frequently in the league. Montella, who was harshly dismissed by Roma's American owners after shepherding the Giallorossi to a sixth place finish in 2011-12, has built his brand of possession play around the midfield trio of Borja Valero, David Pizarro and Alberto Aquilani. While this collection of playmakers, operating without a typical enforcer, may seem lightweight, Fiorentina have largely managed to outfox and outmaneuver their domestic opponents in the middle of the park. Valero in particular proved a shrewd purchase at less than five million pounds, as the former West Brom midfielder has added surprising pace and bite to his already refined passing.
                             
Outside of this flamboyant threesome, Montella has added both grit and glamour to other areas of the team. Stefan Savic, who struggled to cope with the physicality of the English Premier League while at Manchester City, has shown his class and composure at centre half. The XXL-sized goalkeeping gloves of club icon Sebastien Frey, meanwhile, were finally filled by Emiliano Viviano, who arrived on loan from Palermo. Up front, meanwhile, Montenegrin trequartista Stevan Jovetic has top-scored, and attracted advances from Arsenal and Juventus. Praise too, should go to Serbian schemer Adem Ljajic, once almost of Manchester United, who has added mercurial flair from the wing.

Flamboyant: Adem Ljajic has been a threat on the wing

However, perhaps Fiorentina's most important addition in their hunt for Champion's League qualification came this week, with the £13.7 million purchase of Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez. The signing of the well-coiffed centre forward is a genuine coup for a club playing outside of Europe's top continental competition, and the German's goals may even be enough to fire La Viola into title contention. Goals are one thing that Gomez practically guarantees, having struck 138 times in just 236 senior appearances. However, with Bayern finding Mario Mandzukic's manic work-rate a better compliment to their Teutonic take on total football, Gomez was left surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena.

Prolific: But Bayern chose to offload Gomez

Fiorentina, despite playing an up-tempo possession game similar to the European champions, can take heart in the fact that their new striker still managed to plunder 12 goals in 11 starts last season as the Bavarians romped to the treble. More encouragingly, while Gomez's approach play can occasionally lack polish, his personal trophy cabinet suggests that he makes up for this in sheer weight of goals. Indeed, the 28-year-old forward can point out that he contributed goals in double figures for each of his three Bundesliga winners' medals, including the 2006-07 title with an unfancied Stuttgart side. These goals come in a range of finishes, from precise headers to startling solo efforts.

This steady supply of goals means Fiorentina can still be considered serious challengers for the Champions League, and even dark horses for the Scudetto, despite Jovetic's seeming set to leave the Artemio Franchi in favour of Juventus. The midfield remains potent, while Montella will hope to partner Gomez with a fit-again Giuseppe Rossi in a chalk-and-cheese duo in attack. Montella's charges will also be encouraged by the prospect of 29-goal Napoli forward Edinson Cavani joining former team-mates such as Ezequiel Lavezzi at Paris Saint-Germain, thus depriving Gomez of his most convincing challenger for Serie A's golden boot. Napoli's vulnerability seems more genuine when considering new manager Rafael Benitez's previous failures at Inter. With this in mind, La Viola's supporters will be confident of a happier final day next season.