FIORENTINA starting XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea, Dodo, Comuzzo, L.Ranieri, Gosens, Cataldi (subbed for Richardson), Adli (subbed for M.Quarta), Colpani, Beltran (subbed for Kouame), Bove (subbed for Sottil), Kean (subbed for Ikonè)

Bench: Martinelli, Terracciano, Kayode, Baroncelli, Biraghi, Parisi

Goals: Kean 9’ 41’, Beltran 17’ (Pen), Bove 52’, Hummels 71’ (OG)

ROMA starting XI (3-4-2-1): Svilar, Mancini (subbed for Baldanzi), Ndicka, Hermoso, Celik, Pisilli, Cristante (subbed for Kone’), Angelino (subbed for Zalewski), Dybala (subbed for Hummels), Pellegrini, Dovbyk

Bench: Ryan, Marin, Sangarè, Le Fee, Paredes, Dahl, Soule, Abdulhamid, Shomurodov

Goals: Kone’ 39’

Red cards: Hermoso 65’

Roma was never in the game. They had too many gaps defensively and too many offensive players who didn’t track back, leaving Fiorentina with ample space.

It also didn’t help that Roma kept losing duels all over the pitch.

Roma manager Ivan Juric’s job is now on the line. The match ended with Fiorentina celebrating as Roma players apologised to the section of travelling supporters, who were protesting.

Before the match, about two hundred Roma fans arrived in Florence without a ticket and were escorted back to the highway to return to Rome.

Fiorentina continues to show significant progress in terms of play, consistency and finishing.

Fiorentina took the lead early as Adli held off a tight marker in midfield and passed to Bove, who initiated a counter-attack with a backheel pass to Beltran. The Argentinian advanced and, in the open space, returned the ball to Kean, who slotted a sharp diagonal shot into the bottom left corner past Svilar.

Eight minutes later, Fiorentina doubled their lead after Celik, trying to recover his own poor ball, collided with Bove, who had rushed to intercept it.

Referee Sozza awarded a penalty, which Beltran converted. In the 25th minute, Roma had a chance with a shot from Cristante at the edge of the box, but Comuzzo made an excellent save, clearing the danger while on the ground.

Juric tried to make amends, and after only 31 minutes opted for a double substitution: Cristante and Angelino out, Kone and Zalewski in.

It was a good decision, as Kone’ pulled one back in the 39th minute, beating De Gea with a great shot from outside the box on an angle.

Just as the game was resuming, Fiorentina extended their lead again as Gosens won the ball off Celik on the right, passed to Bove who entered the box and delivered to Kean, who calmly finished to make it 3-1.

In the 52nd minute, former Roma player Bove scored the fourth goal by dribbling past two defenders and shooting beyond Svilar.

In the 65th minute, Roma were down to ten men after Hermoso was sent off thanks to a second yellow card for foolishly using his hands to stop Dodo, who had just beaten him.

The red card forced Juric to substitute Dybala for Hummels, who inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, making it 5-1.

Fiorentina then finished the match with ten players due to Comuzzo’s injury after all substitutions were made.

ANSA

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