Serie A | Fiorentina 1-2 Verona: Viola slide towards relegation in disastrous defeat

Fiorentina took a big step towards relegation with this shock home defeat to Hellas Verona, as Gift Orban came off the bench and netted twice to decide this dogfight.

The importance of this clash could not be underestimated, as the bottom two went head-to-head. Hellas secured their first win of the season last week by surprising Atalanta, but the Viola were still without a single Serie A victory. Marin Pongracic returned from suspension, with Robin Gosens, Jacopo Fazzini, Abdelhamid Sabiri and Tariq Lamptey still out after Thursday’s Conference League win over Dynamo Kyiv. Verona missed Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Domagoj Bradaric and Tomas Suslov.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Hellas nearly took the early lead after six minutes when Antoine Bernede hit a screamer off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.

Moise Kean ran onto a long Nicolò Fagioli ball over the top, let it bounce, and hit the half-volley just over the bar. A very similar move saw the pair combine again, this time the finish forcing a save from on-rushing Lorenzo Montipò.

Cheick Niasse ran a huge risk with a sliding tackle on Luca Ranieri, where he just about managed to get the ball, but Verona lost Giovane to a sprained ankle.

Montipò was also tested with a tricky save under the bar on Rolando Mandragora’s sweeping strike, but it was Hellas who took the lead.

It was a classic counter-attack as Al-Musrati’s inspired through ball sent substitute Gift Orban running from inside his own half and he spotted David De Gea off his line, bending the right-foot finish around the goalkeeper in at the near post.

Fiorentina had an opportunity to equalise in first half stoppages, but Kean found himself in the way of Fagioli’s strike.

After the restart, a free kick was flicked on for Luca Ranieri’s looping header that landed on top of the crossbar, then Montipò pushed away the Fagioli snapshot from the edge of the box.

Verona could easily have been 2-0 up on the hour mark, but Orban turned a free header over from Amin Sarr’s inspired ball.

Kean again ran onto a Fagioli ball over the top and flicked it beyond the on-rushing Montipò, but just wide of the open goal.

Orban also wasted another counter-attack drilling wide for Verona, but Fiorentina equalised with a bit of luck.

The tactic was used repeatedly and eventually paid off, Fagioli’s ball over the top for Kean forcing another Montipò save, but this time it ricocheted off Unai Nunez and back into the net.

De Gea needed a tough save to palm away the ferocious Roberto Gagliardini volley from the edge of the box on a corner.

Just as it seemed to be a point each, Verona snatched the victory. Bernede gathered a throw-in and managed to pull back from the by-line, finding Orban ready to tap in at the near post from six yards.

Orban 42, 93 (V), Unai Nunez og 69 (F)