Fiorentina stunned Lazio with a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory at Stadio Artemio Franchi, putting an end to their five-game winless run against their rivals and leaping above them in the Serie A standings.
Despite entering the match with just one win in their last seven games, Fiorentina started off strong. They carved out several early chances, with Nicolás González and Giacomo Bonaventura coming close to breaking the deadlock. Lazio, however, had their own moments of danger, with Andrea Belotti’s header hitting the woodwork being a prime example.
Just when it seemed like the first half would end scoreless, Lazio struck a sucker punch in stoppage time. Matteo Guendouzi found Luis Alberto with a perfect pass, and the Italian midfielder coolly slotted it past Pietro Terracciano to give the visitors an unexpected lead.
Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Italiano responded with two substitutions at half-time, and the changes paid off. They started the second half with renewed purpose and finally found their equalizer in the 60th minute. Michael Kayode, a teenager making his first-ever Serie A appearance, got on the end of a deflected cross from Belotti to level the score.
The drama continued when Fiorentina were awarded a penalty moments later after Casale fouled Belotti. However, González missed from the spot, sending his penalty crashing off the post.
Undeterred by the missed penalty, Fiorentina continued to press forward and eventually got their winner. Lucas Beltrán’s shot was parried by Provedel, but the rebound fell kindly to Bonaventura, who slotted it home to send the home crowd into raptures.
Lazio threw on substitutes in a desperate attempt to salvage a point, but Fiorentina held firm to secure a vital three points. This win sees them climb above Lazio into seventh place and gives them a confidence boost heading into their next match against Torino.
Man of the Match: Andrea Belotti (Fiorentina)
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