Pre-match

Cesare Prandelli shuffled the deck substantially, going with a 3-5-2 featuring Lorenzo Venuti at wingback and Giacomo Bonaventura in the midfield. Roberto de Zerbi started 20-year-old Giacomo Raspadori up top and almost-Fiorentina midfielder Hamed Junior Traoré as the 10.

First half

Sassuolo took the lead via a brilliant ball through from Domenico Berardi that Hamed Junior Traoré (FIORENTINA BEFFATA!) met and poked past Bartłomiej Drągowski, who maybe could’ve done a bit better.

Franck Ribery won an obvious penalty when Manuel Locatelli (already on a yellow) just kicked the heck out of his foot, and Dušan Vlahović stepped up and sent Andrea Consigli the wrong way for just his second goal of the season (warning: video volume is LOUD).

Second half

Ribery nearly won it after wiggling through several defenders, but Consigli managed to tip his blast onto the crossbar and back out.

[ed. note: video coming when I can track it down]

Full time

Goals: Vlahović 35’ PK; Traoré 13’ (ass. Berardi)

Cards: Amrabat 7’, Castrovilli 42’, Biraghi 45’+1, Milenković 90’+2; Locatelli 18’, Berardi 18’, Traoré 29’, Toljan 62’

What’s next

Despite notching a point for the first time in what feels like forever but is actually a bit more than a month, Fiorentina stay just 3 points ahead of the relegation places and Genoa, who earned a surprising point against league leaders AC Milan. The Viola can’t slow down, though, as they host Hellas Verona on Saturday before traveling to Turin to face Juventus before the holiday break.

Sassuolo, meanwhile, rise to 5th place for now, although AS Roma could pass them back up with a win against Torino tomorrow. With a trip against Milan on Sunday, though, they’re likely ruing a chance to add another couple of points as they battle for European qualification.