Fiorentina finally brought their Cup form to Serie A, picking up three points away to Hellas Verona thanks to Antonin Barak, Arthur Cabral and a contentious Cristiano Biraghi strike from the centre-circle.
The Viola booked their place in the Conference League last 16, but seemed a different team in Serie A, scraping just two points from six rounds. Nikola Milenkovic was not fully fit and Antonin Barak faced his former club, but Hellas were missing Miguel Veloso, Ajdin Hrustic, Thomas Henry and Federico Ceccherini.
Nico Gonzalez drilled just wide and Fiorentina took the lead when Jonathan Ikone surged down the right, pulled back for Barak, whose first touch committed Adrien Tameze before smashing into the roof of the net. The former Verona player waved an apology to his old crowd rather than celebrate.
Kevin Lasagna really should’ve equalised on 28 minutes when sent clear by Darko Lazovic’s floated cross, but incredibly turned the free header wide from 12 yards.
Ondrej Duda’s curler was palmed away by Pietro Terracciano, but Fiorentina doubled their advantage instead when Arthur Cabral got in front of Hien to knock in a Rolando Mandragora corner from six yards.
There could’ve been a third on the stroke of half-time, but Dodo stung Lorenzo Montipò’s gloves and the Barak rebound was deflected wide.
Lasagna should’ve gone for goal instead of setting up Cyril Ngonge, who fired straight at Terracciano, and Juan Cabal was probably offside anyway when turning over from a Lazovic free kick.
Cabal flung himself in the way of Ikone to prevent another Fiorentina goal, while Terracciano was alert to twice smother at the feet of Lazovic.
It was all Verona in the second half and Adolfo Gaich was unlucky on 87 minutes when his header on a Lazovic cross thumped the far post.
However, Fiorentina got their third in very controversial circumstances. While Mandragora was down hurt and a Verona player checking on him, Biraghi saw Montipo’ off his line and took the free kick quickly to score from the centre-circle. Verona were furious, feeling this wasn’t in the spirit of fair play, but the goal stood.
Verona 0-3 Fiorentina
Barak 12 (F), Cabral 38 (F), Biraghi 89 (F)
Player statistic
12' | Antonin Barak (Assist: Jonathan Ikoné) | |||
Josh Doig | 24' | |||
27' | Igor | |||
30' | Antonin Barak | |||
Davide Faraoni | 34' | |||
38' | Arthur Cabral (Assist: Rolando Mandragora) |
50' | Sofyan Amrabat | |||
Jayden Braaf | 82' | |||
89' | Cristiano Biraghi |