Fiorentina down Verona to boost chances of survival in top flight
VERONA: Fiorentina won 2-1 at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Tuesday to boost its chances of avoiding relegation.
A first-half Dušan Vlahović penalty and a Martín Cáceres goal against his former team secured the win for Fiorentina although Eddie Salcedo’s header 18 minutes from time set up a nervy finale.
Fiorentina moved eight points above the relegation zone, ahead of the rest of the midweek games.
Verona remained safely in mid-table despite its sixth defeat in seven matches.
It was coach Giuseppe Iachini’s first win since returning to the Fiorentina bench ater a draw and two losses.
Fiorentina, which went into a training retreat ahead of the match, next faces nine-time defending champion Juventus.
Both clubs were on a poor run of results and it was Fiorentina that broke the deadlock on the stroke of haltime when Vlahović converted a penalty ater Antonín Barák bundled over Giacomo Bonaventura.
Cáceres scored Fiorentina’s second in the 65th minute ater Verona failed to clear a free kick, but substitute Salcedo reduced the deficit seven minutes later.
Earlier, Fiorentina had come under immense pressure ater their loss against Sassuolo on Saturday, which let them five points above the relegation zone.
Franck Ribery returned from suspension for the Tuscany team and set up Giacomo Bonaventura to blast in the opener ater half an hour in Emilia-romagna.
Roberto De Zerbi’s home side proved wasteful despite dominating possession in the first half before a triple substitution ater the break paid off.
Berardi came on to spark an immediate revival earning a penalty ater being brought down by
Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski as he was clear on goal.
Berardi sloted in his 100th Sassuolo goal and then minutes later celebrated his 101st, again from the penalty spot, for a German Pezzella foul on Giacomo Raspadori.
Maxime Lopez added a third with quarter of an hour to go with Berardi missing the chance for a hat-trick sending a header wide.
Sassuolo move up to eighth, five points ahead of ninth-placed Hellas Verona, who lost 3-1 at Sampdoria.
Fiorentina are not yet clear of safety, siting 16th, five points off the drop zone, having taken just one point from their last four games.
Midtable Sampdoria also came from behind to inflict a fith defeat in six games on Hellas Verona.
But Udinese ended their three-match losing run 2-1 at basement club Crotone with Rodrigo De Paul hiting a brace with goals in either half before being sent off in the 90th minute for a high kick on Salvatore Molina.