liverpool sunk in Italy while Lyon wins by four

Fiorentina 2-0 Liverpool FC

Two first-half strikes by Stevan Jovetić earned Fiorentina a memorable victory against Liverpool FC and their first points in UEFA Champions League Group E

Superb response
Without the suspended Alberto Gilardino, the weight of the Italian side's attacking expectations rested on the Montenegrin's young shoulders. The 19-year-old responded superbly, beating the offside trap and Pepe Reina on 28 minutes and then, before half-time, turning Juan Vargas's driven cross past the Spanish goalkeeper.

Scissor-kick
The opening exchanges were tentative, two packed midfields taking their time to feel each other out, but the match sprang to life on the quarter-hour mark when Jovetić raced on to a fine through-ball by Riccardo Montolivo down the left. The No8 reached the area but as he shaped to shoot Martin Škrtel made a crucial covering tackle. The visitors failed to clear the ensuing corner and Jovetić's inviting cross was met by a spectacular Marco Marchionni scissor-kick which fizzed narrowly over.

Opening goal
Marchionni caused Liverpool problems throughout with his pace and movement and was at the hub of all things Viola, for whom Cristiano Zanetti and Montolivo were also laying down a marker in midfield. Another move instigated by Marchionni resulted in Jovetić chancing his arm from distance. On that occasion the forward's aim was awry, but just before the half-hour it was true as Cristiano Zanetti picked out the teenager, played onside by Emiliano Insúa, who rolled the ball past Reina.

Lively Marchionni
Liverpool charged forward in a bid to end the sustained pressure but that only left them exposed at the back, Montolivo finding the room to play a diagonal pass to Vargas, who, in spite of an unfavourable angle, forced a fine save out of Reina with a vicious 20-metre shot. Perhaps buoyed by that effort, the home side were celebrating a second goal eight minutes before the interval. Another fine run and cross by Marchionni down the right was headed into the path of Vargas by Škrtel and the Peruvian's fierce centre was expertly flicked in by Jovetić.

Reds awakening
Liverpool began the second half with purpose, producing three goal attempts within five minutes of the restart. Yossi Benayoun led the charge, testing Sébastien Frey at his near post after anticipating Gianluca Comotto's misplaced header. Lucas sent a thudding header over a minute later and Frey saved from Dirk Kuyt as the Premier League side took the game to the Viola.

Pressure
As the half wore on the pressure increased, Torres denied twice by the determined Alessandro Gamberini, one a last-ditch tackle in the area which demanded precision timing. The striker sent another other opportunity over the bar after meeting Škrtel's right-wing cross first time, and with it went Liverpool's slender hopes of a comeback as they lost in the group stage for the first time since October 2007 and a 2-1 defeat by Beşiktaş JK.

Debreceni 0-4 Lyon

Lyon's first visit to Hungary proved a fruitful one as the French club stormed to the top of UEFA Champions League Group E with a commanding victory against Debreceni VSC in Budapest.

Biggest away win
The Ligue 1 outfit were comfortably superior despite being reliant on set-pieces for most of their breakthroughs, with the Debrecen rearguard struggling to cope whenever Miralem Pjanić was at the controls. The talented No8 set Kim Källström up for an eye-catching finish from a corner before András Herczeg's men had properly settled and he scored himself with a free-kick shortly after, before finding the head of Sidney Govou to leave the Hungarian titleholders reeling with 24 minutes gone. Bafétimbi Gomis then pounced on over-enthusiastic goalkeeping soon after the interval to put the seal on Lyon's biggest away win in the competition.

Rapid impact
Slow starters in recent weeks, the visitors made an uncharacteristically rapid impact to quell native passions at Debrecen's temporary home in the capital, Källström sweeping the ball low into net on the half-volley from Pjanić's flighted corner to the edge of the area three minutes in. If the defending left much to be desired, the technique was impeccable, and Lyon further justified their status as favourites ten minutes later, Pjanić leaving Vukašin Poleksić completely beaten with a curled free-kick from around 22 metres out that contained more than an echo of departed club favourite Juninho Pernambucano.

Set-piece threat
Pjanić was prompting constant danger from set-pieces and the schemer was again the catalyst as Lyon scored their third, picking out Sidney Govou with another corner which the French international headed in via a deflection off Péter Czvitkovics. The unfortunate Debrecen midfielder almost made up for his role in that strike with two attempts on goal in the immediate aftermath, only to find Hugo Lloris equal to the task as Lyon refused to give anything away.

Govou skill
At the other end, Govou then threatened to leave his second mark on the match with a far cleaner effort, but having eliminated László Bodnár and Ádám Komlósi with two sublime touches, the visiting captain unleashed a volley that Poleksić dived low to stop. The Montenegrin No1 began the second half in less impressive fashion than he ended the first, however, rushing out of his area to meet a long ball from Källström, misjudging the bounce and allowing Gomis to head himself clear and lob expertly into an empty net.

Källström role
Brought on at the break, promising forward Gergely Rudolf forced Lloris to tip over with an attempt from distance, but the better chances continued to fall to Puel's charges, who continued to probe from dead-ball situations even after Pjanić's 57th-minute removal. Källström took over as chief tormentor and from one of his corners Jean II Makoun came within centimetres of scoring. A fifth goal proved elusive, but Les Gones will surely go into their double-header with Liverpool FC in confident mood, while Debrecen must lift themselves against Fiorentina – starting on 20 October.