Serie A, Fiorentina-Sassuolo 2-1: Saponara and two penalties from Berardi and Gonzalez

From our correspondent GB Olivero

January 7th
– FLORENCE

A very generous penalty gives Fiorentina an undeserved victory against Sassuolo. Dionisi’s team plays better and has the (serious) fault of not turning a decent maneuver into goal chances. Fiorentina produces even less, but wins by exploiting two episodes: an involuntary assist from Ferrari to Saponara for the opening goal and, after the equalizer from Berardi’s spot, a questionable interpretation by referee Manganiello after a touch of the arm by Tressoldi in following a carambola in the Sassuolo area. The penalty signed by Gonzalez in the 91st minute is the classic three-point shot.

First half

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The Italian confirms Cabral in attack and still leaves Amrabat out, preferring Bianco and Duncan. Dionisi lined up Obiang in front of the defense and immediately tried to surprise his opponents: in the 3rd minute Berardi kicked high from outside the box. A few seconds later, Consigli rejected a tricky cross from Bonaventura. In the 5th minute Frattesi saved from an incursion by Milenkovic and then Sassuolo took control of the game showing clear ideas from a tactical point of view and good lines of play. In the 18th minute Terracciano had to stretch out to deflect a good low shot by Frattesi for a corner. Ten minutes later the Viola goalkeeper made a good outing on Pinamonti, launched by a nice combination between Frattesi and Berardi. In the 33rd minute Sassuolo again in speed: dribbling by Berardi, dialogue between Pinamonti and Frattesi, cross for the head of Rogerio who concludes centrally. Fiorentina, non-existent for a long time, sent some signs of life in the final half, first with a dangerous cross from Kouame rejected by Ferrari and then with three consecutive corners which, however, did not give any results. At half-time, the Viola fans booed, disappointed by a bad performance and the inability to produce a shot on target. Fiorentina’s 4-2-3-1 doesn’t seem to work, while Sassuolo, without doing anything exceptional, manages to offer organized football.

Second half

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The impression is that only one episode can change Fiorentina’s day and the episode arrives at the dawn of the second half. Cross from the left, Kouame does not control, Ferrari misses the touch and serves Saponara who scores with a left foot a few meters from Consigli. It was the Viola’s first shot on goal and it came after an opponent’s assist. Sassuolo, however, did not shut down and found a draw quickly. A fine solo action by Obiang leads Pinamonti to a left-footed shot which Dodo, who recently replaced Venuti, deflects with his wide arm: it is a penalty (after Manganiello’s check on the monitor) which Berardi converts in the 12th minute. Italian, who at the beginning of the second half had inserted Castrovilli and Saponara in place of Bianco and Cabral, also relies on Gonzalez (out of Duncan) and Terzic (out of Biraghi). Dionisi replaces Pinamonti with Alvarez and Laurientè with Ceide. Kouame, who plays as a center forward in the second half, wastes a good ball from Bonaventura by kicking out from a few steps away. In the 29th minute Ferrari partially made up for it by postponing a header by Saponara just before the line after a bad outing by Consigli. In the 41st minute Saponara puts a perfect ball on Gonzalez’s head who is unable to corner and enhances Consigli’s reflexes. The turning point, however, comes right at the end when Fiorentina accelerates trying to win the match. Tressoldi returns from a cross in the neroverde area, the ball bounces off Terzic’s foot and then on Tressoldi’s arm. Manganiello lets it go, then is called back to the monitor and whistles the penalty even if the arms of the Sassuolo defender appear to be in a congruous position with respect to the postponement he was making before the very fast and close-up carom. In the 46th minute Gonzalez transformed and gave Fiorentina the win. In the long recovery (10 minutes), in fact, Sassuolo no longer find the strength to react.