Pre-match

Playing on the artificial surface in Cesena while the Alberto Picco is under construction, Spezia boss Vincenzo Italiano, facing a rash of injuries, made six changes to his starting lineup, switching things around at all levels of the pitch. Fiorentina manager Giuseppe Iachini welcomed back captain Germán Pezzela and gave Dušan Vlahović the nod up front.

First half

Making his season debut after missing the first three games with an injury, captain Pezzella bulleted in a completely unmarked header from a Cristiano Biraghi corner kick after two minutes.

Biraghi doubled the lead 2 minutes later, meeting a low cross from Pol Lirola that teased goalkeeper Ivan Provedel out of the play after some nice work by Dušan Vlahović. The fullback celebrated his first goal back by holding up the one-three for Davide Astori.

Because this is Fiorentina, though, they conceded to make it interesting. Martín Cáceres completely missed on a long ball in to Daniele Verde, who was well offside, but got a touch on it. Referee Gianluca Manganiello decided the Uruguayan’s touch kept the diminutive winger in the play, and he finished under Bartłomiej Drągowski.

Second half

After Pezzella went off injured, Spezia won a corner that the Viola failed to clear. It was Pezze’s replacement Igor whose mis-kick dropped right to substitute Diego Farias, who lashed it home through a crowded area.

Full time

Goals: Verde 39’ (ass. Terzi), Farias 75’; Pezzella 2’ (ass. Biraghi), Biraghi 4’ (ass. Lirola)

Cards: Deiola 45’, Chabot 59’; Bonaventura 66’, Lirola 86’

Movement in table

Fiorentina crawl up to 11th with 4 points while Spezia jump to 13th with the same number, along with 3 other teams; the Viola’s -1 goal difference means they’re second of that group. Parma and Genoa, right behind on three points, have one and two games in hand, respectively, so could leapfrog that total in the standings pending later results.