Fiorentina secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Verona, propelled by outstanding saves from David De Gea and a decisive goal from Nicolò Fagioli, which came somewhat unexpectedly. This win significantly boosts their chances of avoiding relegation, creating a buffer from the bottom three.
The match was a critical relegation clash, with Fiorentina starting just two points above the drop zone. Despite missing key players like Rolando Mandragora, Dodo, Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini, and Tariq Lamptey, they risked Moise Kean from the start, who was still recovering from an ankle issue. Verona, struggling at the foot of the table alongside Pisa, also contended with their own list of absentees, including Sandi Lovric, Armel Bella-Kotchap, and Suat Serdar, though Domagoj Bradaric and Antoine Bernede returned to availability.
Fiorentina nearly took an early lead when Nicolò Fagioli’s powerful volley from the edge of the box struck the crossbar in the fourth minute.
Verona soon responded, with David De Gea forced into a superb one-handed save to keep out Antoine Bernede’s fierce shot. Kieron Bowie then squandered a good opportunity from a Rafik Belghali cross. De Gea continued his heroics, tipping a Gift Orban effort from under the bar and making an even more challenging stop from Daniel Oyegoke after Bowie capitalized on a Marin Pongracic mistake.
De Gea flew again to palm a Gift Orban strike out from under the crossbar, then had an even tougher save on Oyegoke after Bowie pounced on a Marin Pongracic error.
After halftime, Verona intensified their pressure, sending several dangerous balls across the goalmouth, with Kieron Bowie coming agonizingly close to a tap-in. Bowie also curled a left-footed shot just over the bar. However, against the run of play, Fiorentina seized the lead in the 82nd minute. Jack Harrison’s run down the right flank culminated in a pass to Fagioli, who expertly swept the ball home from 14 yards. This goal ignited fury among Verona’s players and fans, as the referee had moments earlier halted play due to an apparent injury to Fagioli following a collision with Roberto Gagliardini.
The game’s rising tension boiled over when Tomas Suslov and Albert Gudmundsson were involved in an altercation prior to a Verona free-kick, resulting in both players receiving red cards and leaving the field with torn shirts.
Despite the arduous match, Fiorentina’s victory sees them climb above Cagliari in the league table, while Verona’s chances of survival now appear significantly diminished.
Verona 0-1 Fiorentina
- Goal: Fagioli 82′ (Fiorentina)
- Sent off: Gudmundsson 85′ (Fiorentina), Suslov 85′ (Verona)