ACF Fiorentina kept their European dreams alive with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback win over struggling Cagliari at the Unipol Domus, keeping the pressure on Serie A’s top six.
The fixture, initially slated for earlier in the week, was postponed by two days out of respect following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday.
When play finally began, Cagliari wasted no time in making their intentions clear.
The home side got off to a flying start just seven minutes in, capitalizing on a rare error from David de Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper failed to properly clear an incoming cross, allowing Roberto Piccoli to pounce.
The Rossoblu’s leading scorer made no mistake, taking a touch and firing a low effort between De Gea’s legs to hand Cagliari the early advantage.
Buoyed by their quick start, Claudio Ranieri’s side almost doubled their lead minutes later. Nadir Zortea unleashed a strike from the edge of the box, only to see it rattle off the post and away.
Fiorentina responded with their own moment of misfortune as Rolando Mandragora’s well-struck free-kick beat Elia Caprile but clattered off the woodwork midway through a thrilling first half.
Missing their top scorer Moise Kean due to personal matters, the Viola struggled to test Caprile until just before the half-hour mark.
Albert Gudmundsson’s dazzling solo run led to Fiorentina’s first shot on target, which the Cagliari keeper managed to stop impressively.
Eventually, the visitors found a breakthrough in the 36th minute. Mandragora’s incisive through-ball unlocked the Cagliari defense, allowing Robin Gosens to charge forward and finish with style, slotting the ball into the far corner with the outside of his boot.
Drama continued deep into first-half stoppage time as the hosts were momentarily awarded a penalty.
Referee Livio Marinelli pointed to the spot following a challenge by Marin Pongracic, but after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was reversed, much to the astonishment of the home crowd.
Riding the wave of momentum from their equalizer, Fiorentina wasted little time after the break. Just three minutes into the second half, they turned the game on its head. Lucas Beltran, stepping into Kean’s role in the starting XI, made his mark by rising highest to head home a pinpoint cross from Dodo.
Cagliari, to their credit, continued to push forward in search of a response. De Gea atoned for his earlier miscue with a stunning save to deny substitute Razvan Marin’s powerful long-range drive.
Despite mounting pressure in the closing stages, Fiorentina held their ground and saw out the result, maintaining a three-point gap behind sixth-placed Lazio with five games left on the calendar.
For Cagliari, their fight for survival continues, as they remain five points clear of the relegation zone and now face a daunting final-day clash against title contenders Napoli.
