Fiorentina-Cagliari, 3-0: Gonzalez and Nzola score, Dossena own goal

Fiorentina doesn’t miss the tempting opportunity, beating Cagliari 3-0, moving Napoli and Juve into third place behind the Milanese. The Franchi law has not made any concessions, since last February the Viola have been unbeaten in their own stadium in the championship. It is the middle of the night, however, for Ranieri’s Cagliari, once highly applauded upon entering the pitch, who remain stuck in last position with only two points resulting from draws at home with Udinese and in the first away game against Torino.

pre-match chaos

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High tension outside the Franchi about an hour before kick-off, when groups of opposing ultras came into contact, bars and smoke bombs in hand. The situation was re-established only after the intervention of the police in riot gear; one officer was apparently not seriously injured.

the choices

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Beltran is there from the 1st minute and not Nzola, the Italian gives the Argentine back the starting shirt after anonymous tests against Lecce and Inter. But more than a choice of merit, he will have influenced the Conference round on Thursday at home against Ferencvaros. There were also doubts in defence, where Martinez Quarta prevailed over Ranieri, and in the trident behind the striker, who rewarded Brekalo on the left. Ranieri, however, chooses Shomurodov alongside Petagna in place of the injured Luvumbo, with Deiola preferred to Sulemana in the midfield.

nico’s show

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After just two laps of the clock, Viola took the lead with the usual Nico Gonzalez, sixth center of the season, resolving a melee in the area caused by an error by Radunovic following a free kick kicked by Duncan. The Argentine is the purple soul: in addition to finishing, he spares no effort in returning to cover and has the leg to reset the maneuver. In the 8th minute, another big mistake from the Sardinians, this time in attack when Nandez takes advantage of a wrong back pass from Milenkovic and appears all alone in front of Terracciano, he skips it but shoots too weakly into an empty net allowing for Kayode’s last-gasp save. And in the 21st minute it rained for Ranieri: a low cross from the right by Kayode was deflected into his own goal by Dossena. Viola came close to making it three in the 26th minute with an imperious header again by Gonzalez following a soft cross from the right by Bonaventura, the ball just wide of the long post.

I’m finally okay with it

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After the interval, Ranieri chooses the “green” solution: bringing in the young Prati and Oristanio for Deiola and the impalpable Shomurodov respectively. The choice bears fruit because the Sardinians’ center of gravity and possession numbers soar. Also due to a drop in pace from Fiorentina, Cagliari also found a way to worry Terracciano with Dossena’s header (2′), a strangled right-footed shot from Oristanio (10′) and a dig from Petagna which hit the crossbar (18′), but the action was spoiled by an offside by the attacker himself. Italiano responds with a triple substitution in the 20th minute, all three attacking midfielders out for Kouame, Infantino and Ikone: we need to reverse the inertia of the match and save lactic acid in view of the Conference. When Cagliari also enters the reserve, the match collapses, but it is Nzola’s entry onto the pitch in place of the applauded Beltran that gives him the final shock when, in the quarter of injury time, he takes advantage of a pass from behind and yet another defensive error Cagliaritano to appear all alone in front of Radunovic and beat him with a nice touch underneath.