Rome (AFP)
Verona did Napoli, the defending champion, a favor by defeating its guest, Fiorentina, by beating them 2-1, in the thirty-fifth round of the Italian Football League.
Fiorentina entered its meeting with Verona looking to confirm its superiority over its host, who had not tasted victory over “Viola” in the last eight confrontations between them, specifically since defeating them 1-0 in November 2019.
But Fiorentina returned this time from its rival’s stadium with the ninth defeat of the season, after a match whose first half ended in a 1-1 draw, as the host took the lead in the 13th minute from a penalty kick executed by Serbian Darko Lazovic, then coach Vincenzo Italiano’s team responded through Gaetano Castrovelli “42”, before The Dutchman Tijjani Nusslin scored the decisive goal for Verona in the second half (42).
With this loss, Fiorentina’s balance froze at 50 points in eighth place, on goal difference against Napoli, who are visiting Udinese on Monday.
After Italy won a fifth place in the Champions League, and Atalanta, currently sixth, reached the cup final, where it will meet Juventus, which logically guarantees its participation in the main continental competition, the eighth place will qualify for the “Conference League” competition.
Fiorentina has the opportunity to participate in the “Europa League” by winning the title of the “Conference League” competition, in which it reached the semi-finals, where it won the first leg among its fans over the Belgian Club Brugge 3-2, and will play the return leg on Wednesday at its competitor’s home ground.
Things are still complicated for the European seats in Italy, as Roma or Atalanta winning the Europa League title could give Serie A a sixth place in the Champions League according to their ranking at the end of the season (Atalanta is currently sixth and Roma is fifth).
Cagliari remained in danger of relegation to the second division, after giving away the lead over its guest, Lecce, from the 26th minute, through Colombian Yerry Mina, until the 84th minute, before conceding a 1-1 equalizer through Montenegrin Nikola Krstovic, in a match that was completed with ten players from the minute. 44 after Gianluca Gaetano was sent off.
Cagliari raised its score to 33 points in 15th place, 4 points behind the relegation zone, which Empoli, 17th, or Frosinone, 16th, failed to move away from with their goalless draw at home to the former.
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