Cagliari-Fiorentina 1-2, Gosens and Beltran recover from Piccoli's goal

Cagliari, April 23, 2025 - Three points for Europe, closing the gap on Roma and remaining four points away from the Champions League zone. Fiorentina takes home three precious points from Cagliari, recovering with personality from Piccoli's initial goal. After a difficult first fifteen minutes, Palladino's team took control of the game and came back with Gosens in the first half and with Beltran at the start of the second half. These are three points that take Fiorentina to 56 points, one point away from Roma and above all four points away from fourth-placed Bologna. And Juve was also defeated in Parma. Everything sensationally at stake in the Europa zone.

Piccoli immediately, Gosens responds

Nicola launches Piccoli and Luvumbo from the first minute, with Viola finishing, while Palladino, without Kean for family reasons, relies on Beltran and Gudmundsson as an attacking pair, with the aim of keeping up with the Champions League train. The match starts immediately with duels in midfield and the Cagliari who tries to put energy into it with good pressure, especially exploiting the wings with Augello and Zortea. After 7 minutes the first goal. Cagliari breaks through on the left and there is a slap from De Gea on a cross from Luvumbo, so Piccoli pounces, quick to stop and re-hit the ball into the net with his left foot, making Unipol Domus exult: 1-0. With the match unlocked, the Sardinians can also take advantage of the counterattacks in the face of a Fiorentina still asleep and in fact in the 12th minute another Viola skid, with a right-footed shot Good luck which hits the upright squarely with De Gea immobile. The first reaction of the guests comes in the 15th minute, thanks to a free kick by Mandrake, on the scheme, with the left foot stopping on the post, making it equal and a draw with the previous one. In the 20th minute, an insistent action by the Viola, arising from a corner, frees Cataldi on the right flank, but Lupert in the center of the area save before Gudmundsson can deposit the equaliser. Fiorentina tries to take control of the match, certainly with greater ball possession, but without the right intuition in the last sixteen meters. They have the right idea Gudmundsson, which catches the Sardinians unprepared and cuts the defence into slices, but the right-footed shot finds the reaction of Caprile and on the rebound of Dodo Prati is there to save everything. In the 32nd minute Viola claims a penalty for an alleged hold by Ranieri; Marinelli does not agree and the game continues amidst protests from the number 10. The inertia of the match has changed and in fact Fiorentina finds the equaliser in the 36th minute, taking advantage of a hole in the central lines of Cagliari with Mandragora who finds an excellent spot Goossens: left wing and 1-1. More bad news for Cagliari shortly after, with the classic flexor strain for Mina, who abdicates after 40 minutes: Palomino comes in. At 44' an episode worthy of slow motion. Luvumbo flees to Pongracic who slides into the area after a feint: for Marinelli it is a penalty but the VAR calls because it is the attacker who puts his foot and not the defender who intervenes. Decision revised. At half time it is 1-1.

Beltran turns everything upside down

At the beginning of the second half, two minutes later, the visitors' comeback is completed. Afterwards he makes another mistake in the match, so Fiorentina can fly away with Gudmundsson, which leaves Dodo for the cross with the lap counter for the break of Beltran: 1-2. Cold shower for Unipol Domus after the great start to the match. The Sardinians immediately try to react and create a couple of interesting situations from the wings, but the visiting defense keeps a good guard. Nicola goes with the first changes and chooses the energy of Gaetano in the finishing area in place of Viola. Having completed the comeback, Fiorentina can instead manage pace and possession, forcing Cagliari to expose themselves to recover the ball and the score. Furthermore, Palladino also opts for two substitutions with Richardson and Parisi to give further energy in the last half hour. The home team's plan is simple, exploit the wings and the speed of Zortea and Luvumbo to put balls in the middle, but there are no real opportunities and De Gea, in fact, lives quite calmly for the first twenty minutes of the second half. Nicola has to play three more cards with Makombou, Coman and Marin, but his team, apart from a few long balls in the area, struggle to move up the pitch because the Fiorentina presses well forward and avoids risks. You always have to take into account the Sardinian pride, which comes out in the 75th minute with a percussion by Zappa and the left foot of Marine who is neutralized by a dive by De Gea. These are the most intense efforts of Cagliari and Palladino senses the danger, so he goes with Folorunsho and Comuzzo to strengthen the defensive structure. Fiorentina is good at keeping away the biggest dangers and the Sardinians do not find many outlets up front and are forced, often, to throw the ball into the box hoping for something. The final tense is intense, Cagliari tries with all the willpower it has, but Fiorentina also has the energy to resist, and it does. Unipol Domus tries to push the rossoblù in the face of an orderly, attentive and concentrated Viola. Palladino also takes advantage of the last slot to insert Zaniolo in place of an exhausted, but best on the pitch, Beltran. At home Cagliari also has a muscular problem for Gaetano, with the substitutions finished, so the number 70 grit his teeth and stays on the pitch. In the seven minutes of recovery granted by Marinelli he has the opportunity to close the match Zaniolo, with a close-range left-footed shot that Caprile is good at thwarting. It is the last thrill of the match, Cagliari sends the last ball in the area wide. Fiorentina passes to Unipol Domus, rises to 56 points and remains in the running for all European objectives.