Fiorentina produced a clinical performance to beat fellow European qualification contenders Bologna 3-2 at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Serie A, extending their unbeaten run on home soil to nine matches across all competitions in the process.
Fresh from lifting the Coppa Italia for the first time in 51 years on Wednesday, Bologna made a bright start to proceedings in Tuscany. The Fiorentina goal was under significant pressure throughout the opening 10 minutes, but the visitors continually struggled to work David de Gea, with Santiago Castro particularly wasteful.
Those misses would be punished in cruel fashion before the quarter-hour mark, when Fabiano Parisi’s dynamic run at the Bologna defence culminated in a shot that took a wicked deflection off Jhon Lucumi on its way past the helpless Lukasz Skorupski.
Eleven of Fiorentina’s previous 18 home league games this term had produced 3+ goals, and Bologna needed to make it 12 here to keep their UEFA Champions League qualification hopes alive.
They appeared unfazed by falling behind, but their dominance failed to bear fruit before as they directed just one of their 11 shots on target, while Gustavo Fabbian curled over from a promising position on the edge of the box.
It was certainly a harsh scoreline on Vincenzo Italiano’s men, who conceded from the only shot Fiorentina mustered before the interval. Yet after a low-key start to the second period, the Rossoblu exacted a slice of revenge on that front, equalising with their first shot after the restart.
Riccardo Orsolini skipped past Parisi on the right before standing the ball up into the box, where Thijs Dallinga was waiting to brilliantly direct a header into the far corner.
Not to be upstaged, La Viola needed just six minutes to restore their lead, with Parisi again the architect.
The full-back drove into the box and saw his cross deflect towards, who could only parry the ball into Amir Richardson’s path, allowing the midfielder to slide home on the rebound for his first domestic goal in Fiorentina colours.
The onus was on the visitors to respond once more, and they were up to the task again as midweek matchwinner Dan Ndoye’s cutback from the left byline was slammed home from point-blank range by Orsolini.
Moise Kean nearly established Fiorentina’s third lead of the night moments later, but was denied by Skorupski.
The Fiorentina frontman would not be denied again in the 84th minute, however, as he slotted home his 18th league goal of the campaign on the rebound after he had raced beyond the Bologna backline.
Match statsStatsPerform
That proved the final goal of this topsy-turvy affair, though there was still time for Juan Miranda to be sent off for a tame strike to the face of Rolando Mandragora.
The result hands Fiorentina an 11th win from their last 14 home matches against Bologna, whom they leapfrog in the table to take the breathless race for the European races to the final day.