SOCCER - FIORENTINA WIN WITH BATISTUTA DOUBLE .
MILAN 1996-08-25
Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta gave Fiorentina the perfect 70th birthday present on Sunday with two goals that gave the Italian Cup winners a 2-1 Supercup victory over serie A champions Milan .
The victory , coming on the eve of the founding of the Florence club in 1926 , also marked the first time since the pre-season trophy between the Cup winners and league champions was started in 1988 that the Cup winners had won .
Batistuta gave Fiorentina the lead in the 11th minute .
Sweden 's Stefan Schwarz picked him out with a lob to the edge of the box and Batistuta did the rest , chipping veteran defender Franco Baresi and scoring at the near post .
Montenegrin midfielder Dejan Savicevic equalised for the home team , weaving past a defender , checking and firing in a left-footed shot in the 21st minute that gave young Fiorentina goalkeeper Francesco Toldo little chance .
The scored stayed level to the final minutes but with a penalty shoot out looming , Batistuta took charge .
French international midfielder Marcel Desailly fouled the Argentine , whose coach at Boca Juniors before he joined Fiorentina in 1991 was new Milan coach Oscar Tabarez , and Batistuta rammed home the free kick from 30 metres out .
The 83rd minute shot , curling over the defence and dipping in under the bar from the striker dubbed Batigol by adoring Fiorentina fans , was just reward for Fiorentina who looked a far more impressive team .
Milan 's player of the year George Weah missed a good first half opportunity but otherwise looked a little rusty while Italian team mate Roberto Baggio did not play due to injury .
New Dutch signing Edgar Davids came on late in the second half as a Milan substitute but made little impact .
The league season starts on September 8 .