Fiorentina finally broke their crisis with a desperately-needed victory over Verona, as Jonathan Ikone and Nico Gonzalez got the job done despite a saved Cristian Biraghi penalty.
Confidence was rock bottom in the Viola camp after a series of setbacks, including Thursday’s 3-0 Conference League defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir. Options were also limited, with Igor suspended, Dodo, Nikola Milenkovic, Pierluigi Gollini and Gaetano Castrovilli injured, and Nico Gonzalez not fully fit either.
The hosts broke their goal drought with Jonathan Ikone, who sprinted down the right, cut inside and drilled low left-footed into the near bottom corner from 14 yards.
They remained aggressive, Lorenzo Venuti stinging the goalkeeper’s gloves and on the resulting corner Fabio Depaoli risking an own goal.
Diego Coppola tugged back Ikone’s jersey for a penalty, but Cristiano Biraghi’s spot-kick was unusually weak and predictable, so much that Montipò was able to smother.
Moments later, Verona fought back, first with Kevin Lasagna’s shot deflected over, then Thomas Henry had a goal disallowed on a corner for offside.
Montipò performed heroics with two big saves in quick succession on Lorenzo Venuti’s strike from the edge of the box and then Lucas Martinez-Quarta’s header on the resulting corner.
Giacomo Bonaventura came off the bench and immediately forced a flying save with one of his trademark scorchers into the top corner.
Hien made a decisive interception to stop Ikone going clear, then Koray Gunter was perhaps fortunate to avoid a straight red for wiping out Christian Kouame on the counter-attack
Fiorentina once again failed to make their chances count and Verona threatened a late equaliser, Pietro Terracciano rushing off his line to deny Yayah Kallon when sent clear by Verdi’s pass.
The Viola did lock the points down in stoppages when Rolando Mandragora sprung the offside trap and got down the left, rolling across for Nico Gonzalez to slide in from six yards.
Fiorentina 2-0 Verona
Ikone 13 (F), Nico Gonzalez 90 (F)
Saved penalty: Biraghi 27 (F)