Fiorentina 2-1 Lazio: Match report and highlights

Pre-match

With the rain sheeting down on a chilly Tuscan evening, Vincenzo Italiano shook things up by trying Giacomo Bonaventura next to Arthur in a double pivot for the first time, with Lucas Beltrán operating as the 10. Maurizio Sarri didn’t do anything unexpected, so it felt very much like a roll of the dice from the Viola mister. The atmosphere, it’s worth mentioning, was also sort of bad as the Curva Ferrovia was shut down as the Stadio Artemio Franchi renovations have begun.

First half

Fiorentina won 3 corners in the first 2 minutes, forcing some frightening moments for Lazio, which set the pattern for the proceedings. After a quarter hour, some lovely passing put Nico González through, but Ivan Provedel made a fingertip save, palming it onto the upright, and Bonaventura, with the net begging, somehow saw his followup blocked by Nicolò Casale off the line. It was shades of Jonathan Ikoné against Monza.

The Viola pressure didn’t let up, and was once again a post away from paying dividends. This time it was Andrea Belotti’s header from a Cristiano Biraghi corner that hit the upright, with Sottil failing to strike the followup cleanly, allowing Provedel to push it away. Biraghi got in on the act moments later, firing a corner off the post as he nearly scored an Olimpico. As any seasoned Fiorentina fan could’ve predicted, though, it was Lazio who scored first. Luis Alberto got in behind and thumped home a Matteo Guendouzi pass? Was it the visitors’ first shot on target and first real chance? You better believe it.

Second half

Fiorentina deserves a ton of credit for not giving up, given the celestially-driven scoreline, and kept turning the screws, creating numerous chances and half chances. Nico came closest with a strike from distance, although Luca Ranieri nearly got one off a corner. The breakthrough finally came from Belotti, whose low (and slightly deflected) cross found Michael Kayode all alone at the back post, and the teenager thumped it home for his first-ever Serie A goal. And, in keeping with the theme, his shot of course hit the crossbar on its way into the back of the net.

5 minutes later, Belotti proved decisive again. This time, he latched onto a Bonaventura pass in the box and spun Casale, whose flailing leg caught il Gallo and brought him down for an obvious penalty. González stepped up, sent Provedel the wrong way with a hesitation, and did exactly what we all expected: doinked the spot kick off the upright. It was his second straight penalty miss and the 3rd time Fiorentina had hit the post. You can’t blame his comedic instincts, but it sure felt like the heavens above had decreed that Fiorentina simply wouldn’t win.

Fortunately, though, there’s one man who doesn’t care what the heavens think. Okay, that’s Rolando Mandragora, but at least Jack Bonaventura did what he had to, pouncing on a rebound from a Beltrán strike from the top of the box and turning it home; you knew he wasn’t going to miss from in front of an open net for the second time in a single match.

I guess you could say that Lazio attempted a fightback, but the Aquile never really looked like threatening Pietro Terracciano’s goal again. The only real drama was when referee Marco Guida (who sure seemed to lean Lazio’s way all evening) increased the added time from 4 minutes to 5, prompting an outburst from Fiorentina assistant Ivano Tito, who took his red card and jogged off with the Platonic ideal of a bemused shrug. At full time, it was clear that Fiorentina had been better and deserved all 3 points, even it the path their wasn’t the most straightforward.

Statistics

Full time

Goals: Kayode 61’ (ass. Belotti), Bonaventura 69’ (nice); Luis Alberto 45’ (ass. Guendouzi)

Cards: Vecino 88’

What’s next

Fiorentina leapfrogs Lazio into 7th with 41 points, 5 off Atalanta in 5th. Perhaps just as importantly, it means that the Viola now hold the tiebreaker over the Aquile (total goals scored in head-to-head matchups), which could make all the difference as the race for Europe heats up.

More than that, though, we just witnessed Fiorentina’s best overall performance of the season. The side was better in every area of the pitch (albeit against a team that was coming off short rest) and played with a toughness that’s been notably absent for months. Maybe, just maybe, this win (only the second of 2024) can get this team’s feet back under it and start some momentum that these guys can carry into the Conference League, the Coppa Italia, and the rest of the league season.