Toni just the tonic for Fiorentina

ACF Fiorentina's home match against AC Milan on Sunday was widely anticipated to be a head-to-head between Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino - the two forwards expected to spearhead Italy's 2006 FIFA World Cup bid in Germany. Both players confirmed their credentials with first-half strikes, but it was Toni who had the final say, striking his second in the closing stages to seal a 3-1 success for Fiorentina.

Free-scoring Toni
The win for the Florence-based side saw them go level with Milan in second place in Serie A, five points behind leaders Juventus. Toni's double allowed him to move on to 15 goals for the season from just 12 league games, five short of his best tally of 20 achieved last term while at US Città di Palermo. "We played a fantastic match against a great team," commented the 28-year-old. "We were a bit lucky because we scored from almost every chance that we created. However, you always need a little bit of fortune in order to beat a side of Milan's stature."

Gilardino ‘great’
Toni is now seven goals ahead of his international strike partner in the Serie A scoring stakes, yet he feels Milan's summer signing from Parma offers more than just goals to a team. "I don't feel I am more clinical than Gilardino," he explained. "A lot depends on the fact that I have recently been playing as a lone striker, whereas Alberto has another strike partner alongside him with added support from Kakà, so scoring responsibilities are shared out. Gilardino is a great player and I hope we can do well together in Germany next summer. It will be my first World Cup and I cannot wait."

Italian optimism
Gilardino was a constant threat to the Fiorentina rearguard, and after canceling out Toni's opening goal, could have had a second only to see it ruled out just a minute before Toni doubled his scoring haul for the day. "Toni has great physical power as well as being agile and very technically gifted," said the Milan frontman. "In recent years he has also improved in the penalty box and so has no weaknesses. We are not in competition because we have proved we can play well together." This point was demonstrated in the 3-1 win against Netherlands last week, in which both marksmen were on target. Such a regular supply of goals can only bode well for Marcello Lippi's national side come the World Cup in June.