Serie A | Fiorentina 1-0 Lazio: Gosens might guarantee Viola safety

A Robin Gosens header proved enough to give Fiorentina victory and surge eight points clear of the relegation zone, but Lazio were furious after a controversial refereeing decision.

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The Viola had a huge opportunity to open up a significant lead from the relegation zone, but had the strain of Thursday’s Conference League quarter-final 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, with the second leg coming up. Albert Gudmundsson and Nicolò Fagioli sat out bans, with Moise Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Marco Brescianini, Niccolò Fortini, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey still injured.

The Biancocelesti won three of their last four games, despite an injury crisis including Adam Marusic, Daniel Maldini, Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot and Nicolò Rovella, but Mattia Zaccagni and Patric were thrown straight back into the starting XI.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Zaccagni very nearly scored in the third minute, as Boulaye Dia’s slide-rule pass sent him unmarked down the left, the angled drive fingertipped inches wide by David De Gea.

Matteo Cancellieri also tested De Gea at the near post, but Roberto Piccoli fired just over from the edge of the area after a well-worked counter-attack.

Fiorentina took the lead when Jack Harrison stood up a cross from the right for Robin Gosens, who outjumped Manuel Lazzari at the back post for a header into the ground from seven yards.

Cancellieri sprinted back in time to stop Cher Ndour on the counter with a decisive block, while Zaccagni’s snapshot was straight at De Gea.

Tijjani Noslin fired over after the restart and Harrison had a double attempt charged down at the near post, the second parried by Edoardo Motta.

There was a controversial incident on 64 minutes when Tijjani Noslin went down acrobatically in the box after a coming together with Rolando Mandragora. Referee Michael Fabbri booked the Lazio player for simulation and stuck with his original decision even after the VAR review showed there had been contact, as he considered it insufficient for a penalty.

Fiorentina were also angry that a free kick was given for the Gosens challenge on Gustav Isaksen, but Nuno Tavares ballooned it over the bar.

Noslin couldn’t keep his header on target from six yards on an Isaksen cross, while De Gea needed a big save to deny the Petar Ratkov header within moments of his introduction.

Giovanni Fabbian nodded the Dodo cross over too and Ndour drilled just wide from the edge of the area in stoppages, but the last kick of the game was an acrobatic Pedro volley into De Gea’s arms.

Fiorentina 1-0 Lazio

Gosens 28 (F)