Riccardo Saponara’s half-volley and a rather harsh stoppage-time penalty converted by Nico Gonzalez allowed Fiorentina to see off struggling Sassuolo.
Sofyan Amrabat and Nico Gonzalez were available on the bench, but Luka Jovic joined Riccardo Sottil and Rolando Mandragora on the treatment table. The Neroverdi still had Maxime Lopez and Mert Muldur injured after their shock home defeat to Sampdoria left them with one point from five rounds.
Andrea Consigli was quick to intercept Giacomo Bonaventura’s low ball reaching Christian Kouame for a tap-in, while Pietro Terracciano got down to fingertip a Davide Frattesi daisy-cutter round the far post and rushed off his line to deny Andrea Pinamonti on a Domenico Berardi through ball.
Fiorentina almost took the lead by accident in the seconds after the restart, as a cross-shot looped strangely in the air and grazed the top of the crossbar with Consigli beaten.
They did score moments later, as Kouame knocked down a Cristiano Biraghi cross and Alex Ferrari’s attempted clearance just turned into an assist for substitute Riccardo Saponara on the half-volley.
Sassuolo were awarded a penalty when Dodo charged down Pinamonti’s shot with a raised arm just minutes after entering the pitch, allowing Berardi to convert the equaliser.
There was also a long VAR check for potential Kouame handball, eventually waved on as it was really not very clear at all.
Ferrari made up for the earlier error by practically clearing off the line when Consigli had misjudged the cross for Saponara’s header.
Nico Gonzalez made his comeback after months out with injury and thought he’d won it at the 86th minute, but the free header was denied by a sensational Consigli save.
Moments later, Aleksa Terzic saw his shot charged down by Ruan Tressoldi’s arm from point-blank range and the referee opted for a penalty after the VAR review, but no yellow card because the initial effort was not on target. Nico Gonzalez sent Consigli the wrong way to convert and was visibly moved during the celebrations.
Kouame surged towards goal in stoppages, forcing Consigli into a save with his legs at the near post, then both Kouame and Gaetano Castrovilli just failed to connect with the Saponara ball across the face of goal.
Fiorentina 2-1 Sassuolo
Saponara 48 (F), Berardi 56 (S), Nico Gonzalez 91 (F)