Gomez struggle continues

Berne - Mario Gomez has been bedevilled by injuries and poor form since he joined Fiorentina and his misfortune showed no signs of letting up on Tuesday as an afternoon of wasted chances culminated in a penalty miss.

Fiorentina also had two players sent off as they lost 1-0 to bottom club Parma while the controversy over goalkeeper Norberto Neto, dropped after saying he would leave at the end of the season, rumbled on.

Gomez had a quick chance to wipe out Parma's early lead when he was sent clean through by Matias Fernandez, but shot weakly at goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.

That was followed by a weak header and the penalty miss when his weak effort was again saved by Mirante.

"Unfortunately, mistakes can happen," coach Vincenzo Montella told reporters.

"We have faith in him and we will continue to support him.

"He's a player who needs to find himself in front of goal."

Gomez arrived at Fiorentina from Bayern Munich before the start of last season with a reputation as Germany's most deadly and prolific striker.

He played only three games, scoring twice, before suffering an injury to his right knee that kept him out for four months.

After a brief return, an injury to his other knee ruled him out for the rest of the season and cost him a chance of getting into Germany's World Cup squad.

A thigh muscle injury early this season meant more missed more games but, although he has got his fitness back, his scoring form has deserted him and he has scored only one league goal all season.

Gomez is not Montella's only problem following Neto's decision to quit at the end of the season.

The goalkeeper has been criticised by the supporters and Montella said he decided not to take any chances and fielded Ciprian Tatarusanu against Parma.

"I haven't seem him in a relaxed frame of mind and I preferred to choose Tatarusanu, who is a goalkeeper with great experience," said Montella.

"He remains a great goalkeeper, but at this moment I thought Tatarusanu was more reliable."

Red cards for Gonzalo Rodriguez and Stefan Savic completed Fiorentina's day as they failed to score for the seventh time in the league this season and dropped to a modest ninth.