Fiorentina wasted so many chances, including Gaetano Castrovilli hitting the crossbar and a goal-line clearance, so Antonin Barak’s acrobatic half-volley is their only advantage over Sivasspor in a seventh straight Conference League victory.
The Viola were looking for their record seventh consecutive Conference League victory, missing only Aleksa Terzic and Riccardo Saponara, giving Gaetano Castrovilli his first start since that serious knee injury in April 2022. Sivasspor had played just one competitive match in the last month, as the Turkish season was suspended following the earthquake, and made the trip without Caner Osmanpasa, Robin Yalcin and Mustapha Yatabare.
Luka Jovic really should’ve done better when sent clear by a Nico Gonzalez through ball, but his weak dinked finish was easy for the goalkeeper.
Castrovilli almost scored a stunning strike, his acrobatic scorpion kick thumping the crossbar from close range on 14 minutes.
Moments later, Giacomo Bonaventura sprung the offside trap and his lob beat Ali Sasal Vural, but Murat Paluli sprinted back for a decisive goal-line clearance with Jovic ready to make sure.
A Nico Gonzalez half-volley flashed wide and Dimitrios Goutas threw himself in the way of a Jovic effort, but Sivasspor got into the game more after the break and Goutas saw his looping header from a corner bounce off the top of the crossbar.
Fiorentina finally found their way through when a corner was spilled by the goalkeeper, Lucas Martinez Quarta had an attempt charged down and it fell into the path of Antonin Barak for a ferocious half-volley.
Igor used his body to block a Charis Charisis strike and Rolando Mandragora only hit the side-netting.
Sivasspor ended the game with 10 men after Max Gradel lashed out an elbow on Martinez Quarta in stoppages.
Fiorentina 1-0 Sivasspor
Barak 69 (F)
Sent off: Gradel 94 (S)
Player statistic
| 42' |  |
Samu Saiz |
| Sofyan Amrabat | |
58' | ||
| Luka Jovic | |
62' | ||
| Antonin Barak (Assist: Lucas Martínez Quarta) |
 |
69' | ||
| Arthur Cabral | |
83' | ||
| Cristiano Biraghi | |
90+1' | ||
| Dodô | |
90+5' | ||
| 90+3' | |
Isaac Cofie | ||
| 90+4' |  |
Max Gradel |
Match statistic
