Fiorentina-Sassuolo: video highlights and highlights from Sunday evening’s Serie A match on April 28, 2024, with moviola episodes and report cards.
Fiorentina hosts Sassuolo at the Franchi to go in the hunt for useful points to register for European competition. The Viola’s pre-match points total 47 and are worth ninth place in the standings. In their last A game, Fiorentina regained victory against Salernitana after a four-day no period. For Sassuolo, relegation is getting closer: without a win, the neroverdi would face an increasingly complicated situation.
Vincenzo Italiano, lost the chance to win another Coppa Italia final but still in the Conference game, does not want to snub Serie A but for the match against Sassuolo relies on a large turnover. In attack is Koumane. Behind him play Sottil, Ikoné and Barak. Ballardini is relying on Pinamonti as the only forward.
Sassuolo is without the injured Berardi and the disqualified Laurienté. Doig wins the ballot with Viti. In the midfield are Obiang and Boloca (preferred over Racic). Defrel remains on the bench.
Highlights of the challenge
Sassuolo struggles to keep up with Fiorentina’s early pace. At 17′ Sottil put the Viola ahead with a great goal. Ten minutes later Parisi skips past Volpato with a sharp dribble, shoots and hits the crossbar! Barak tries again in 35′, with the ball ending just wide. A minute later Ikoné tries to surprise Consigli from a deflected position: the Sassuolo goalkeeper covers the first post well. Again Consigli at 43′ saves on Barak. The Viola close with 70% ball possession.
At 54′, the Viola finds the double with Martinez Quarta’s header on Arthur’s cross. Only two minutes pass and Sassuolo shortens with Thorstvedt, thanks to a good Doig suggestion. Fiorentina doesn’t mind and at 58′ finds the tris with Nico Gonzalez launched by a nice cross from Sottil. It is not over, at 62′, Barak, again on Sottil’s suggestion, beats Consigli. Sassuolo gave up and at 66′ came the fifth purple goal with Nico, on an assist from Barak. Not satisfied, the Czech found the post soon after.
Table and report cards of Fiorentina-Sassuolo
FIORENTINA (4-2-3-1): Christensen; Kayode, Quarta (71′, Comuzzo), Ranieri, Parisi; Arthur (80′, Maxime Lopez), Duncan; Ikoné (45′, Nico Gonzalez), Barak, Sottil (83′, Castrovilli); Kouame (71′, Belotti). All: Italiano.
SASSUOLO (4-2-3-1): Consigli; Tressoldi (64′, Missori), Kumbulla, Ferrari, Viti (45′, Mulattieri); Obiang (64′, Henrique), Boloca (73′, Ceide); Doig, Thorstvedt, Volpato (45′, Bajrami); Pinamonti. All: Ballardini.
REFEREE: Marcenaro of Genoa
MARKERS: 17′, Sottil, 54′, Quarta; 57′, Thorstvedt; 58′, Nico Gonzalez; 62′, Barak, 66′, Nico Gonzalez
NOTE: Admonished: 12′, Tressoldi; 32′, Quarta; 67′, Thorstvedt, 80′, Comuzzo: Recovered: 5′
The best player on the field is Sottil, who scored the goal and is the fulcrum of Fiorentina’s play on the flank: he gives assists, dribbles and smart plays (8). Sottil’s play also works thanks to the support of an excellent Parisi (7). Nico Gonzalez’s entry on the field is excellent (7). On the other side to suffer the liveliness of the men deployed by Italiano on the left is Tressoldi (4.5). Volpato starts the match very well but it is his the lightness that propitiates Fiorentina’s 1-0: he recovers many balls but then handles them poorly (5.5). Doig is one of the most positive in Sassuolo (6).
Barak wakes up in the second half and undermines the black and green rearguard (7). Viti plays only one half but is not the worst of his team (6). He suffers much more from the central pair formed by Kumbulla and Ferrari (5.5). Pinamonti impalpable (5).
Moviola and highlights of the match
The referee relies right from the first minutes on VAR checks for touches of hands and offsides. Otherwise he handles a somewhat nervous match well
