Pre-match

Cesare Prandelli left Gaetano Castrovilli on the bench. Everyone else was as expected. Vincenzo Italiano picked both Riccardo Saponara and Kevin Agudelo in the attack, which we predicted but which still felt like a jab somehow.

First half

Fiorentina were, in a word, awful. The forwards were invisible, the midfielders were full of mistakes, and the defenders looked nervous. It was among the worst 45 minutes the Viola have played in years, and they conceded 4 in a single half just last month.

Second half

Pretty much out of nowhere, Cristiano Biraghi lobbed one into the back post. Gaetano Castrovilli made a lovely run from deep to meet the ball and somehow hooked it back across the goal before it went over the end line. Dušan Vlahović, completely unmarked, acrobatically tapped it home for his second excellent poacher’s goal in as many games.

Fiorentina grabbed another one via that man Castrovilli. This time, it was some nice work from Erick Pulgar and Valentin Eysseric to spring Biraghi down the left, and the fullback kept his cross low (!). Vlahović neatly dummied it and, after a brief scramble, it was Castrovilli who lashed it home via a slight deflection.

Spezia had no one to blame but themselves for the last one. Fiorentina cleared a corner and the Aquilotti defense dallied on it, letting Castrovilli steal in and send it forward for Vlahović, who was alone with goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. The big man unselfishly squared it for Eysseric, who steered it into the empty net for just his second Viola goal ever.

Full time

Goals: Vlahović 48’ (ass. Castrovilli)

Cards: Amrabat 18’, Eysseric 75’, Valero 77’, Martínez Quarta 90’+2

What’s next

First of all, let’s all hope that Riccardo Marchizza, who went off with a first half head injury, is alright. He lost consciousness while being stretchered off the field. Head injuries are real and they’re serious.

Anyways, the result means that, for the rest of the day, Fiorentina and Spezia switch places in the table, with the former rising to 12th and the latter sinking to 16th. Positive results for any of Benevento, Udinese, and Bologna could see Fiorentina drop back down, though.

This marked Cristiano Biraghi’s 100th appearance for Fiorentina and Prandelli’s 100th Serie A win as Fiorentina boss. All in all, not a bad Friday.