There were any number of reasons for Fiorentina fans to worry ahead of this one: the flat showing at Venezia the previous week; the awkwardness surrounding Dušan Vlahović’s future; and the return of the ultras to the Curva Fiesole looming over it all. Things felt tense ahead of kickoff.
The Viola, though, dispersed that tension almost immediately. Riccardo Saponara nearly lobbed Alessio Cragno after 30 seconds and generally ran the show. He was involved in the leadup to every goal and hit the post himself with a gorgeous curler while assisting Nicolás González with a tap-in.
There were other talking points too, none bigger than Vlahović choosing not to take a penalty because he “wasn’t feeling it.” Captain Cristiano Biraghi stepped up and slammed it home, but Vlahović got his goal in the second half with a glorious free kick that he and his teammates righteously celebrated while the Curva remained politely quiet.
Overall, it was a complete performance, although let’s remember that it came against a really woeful Cagliari side that looks well on its way to relegation. Still, you can only beat the teams in front of you, and Fiorentina definitely beat the team in front of them. If you want to relive that, all our coverage is right down there.