Fiorentina Secures Vital Serie A Victory Against Cagliari to Revive European Aspirations

ACF Fiorentina remain in the hunt for a top six finish in Serie A after they fought back to defeat relegation-threatened Cagliari 2-1 at the Unipol Domus.

The match was postponed for two days following the announcement of Pope Francis’s passing on Monday, and Cagliari quickly made their mark, scoring within just seven minutes.

Roberto Piccoli capitalised on a mishap by David de Gea, who failed to handle a cross, allowing the Rossoblu’s leading scorer to take a touch and slot the ball expertly through the Spaniard’s legs, giving Cagliari an early lead.

With their tails up, Cagliari nearly extended the advantage five minutes later when Nadir Zortea’s shot from outside the box struck the upright.

Fiorentina, keen to find an equaliser, nearly levelled the score when Rolando Mandragora’s free-kick went past Elia Caprile but hit the woodwork instead.

Missing their 17-goal striker Moise Kean due to personal reasons, Fiorentina had to wait until just before the half-hour mark for their first shot on target, with Albert Gudmundsson’s effort brilliantly saved by Caprile.

However, nothing could stop Raffaele Palladino’s team from equalising in the 36th minute.

Mandragora’s pinpoint pass found Robin Gosens on a surging run, and he calmly placed the ball into the far corner using the outside of his boot.

In a dramatic turn of events, Cagliari was denied a penalty just before the half-time whistle; after initially pointing to the spot for a foul by Marin Pongracic, VAR intervention led referee Livio Marinelli to revoke his decision, much to the disbelief of those present at the Unipol Domus.

Fiorentina continued their strong performance after the break, taking just three minutes to turn the match around.

Lucas Beltran, brought into the Fiorentina line-up in place of Kean, scored with a header from Dodo’s exquisite delivery, putting his side in front.

De Gea was eventually called into action again, making a fantastic save to deny Razvan Marin’s powerful long-range attempt.

Despite Cagliari’s efforts to find an equaliser late in the game, Fiorentina held firm, keeping their hopes alive as they sit just three points behind sixth-placed Lazio with five matches remaining this season. Meanwhile, Cagliari is five points clear of the relegation zone as they prepare for a challenging final match against title contenders Napoli.