There was little riding on the game for either side, with both guaranteed to finish lower than they did last season. That said, the visitors will have been looking for a confidence boost ahead of next week’s UEFA Europa Conference League final against West Ham, while the Neroverdi had a positive recent record to protect.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first half was a generally low-key affair, with neither team able to click into their attacking groove. One of just two opportunities of note came after 10 minutes, when Arthur Cabral’s header shaved the post on its way wide.
Alessio Dionisi’s men desperately struggled in attack in a lacklustre first half display, but it was their defending that let them down following the restart.
Just 59 seconds into the resumption, the visitors took the lead when a mistake from young debuting goalkeeper Alessandro Russo, saw him palm Aleksa Turzic’s cross into the path of Cabral, who reacted quickly to divert it home from close range for his eighth league goal of the season.
The hosts responded and found their attacking rhythm as Domenico Berardi finally landed a shot on target, although it was well saved by Michele Cerofolini.
The pendulum had swung, and Cabral went from hero to zero when referee Matteo Marchetti adjudged that he had handled the ball from a corner after consulting the pitchside monitor, with Berardi sending Cerofolini the wrong way to set up a grandstand finish.
A draw now looked the likelier outcome with the limited goal threat of both teams, however Saponara had other ideas as he collected the ball on the edge of the area before shooting on the turn and finding the top right corner to send the sizeable away following wild.
Sassuolo’s Ruan Tressoldi was sent off just three minutes later, and things got even worse for the hosts when Nicolas Gonzalez headed home from a cross at the far post to rub salt into the wound as Fiorentina doubled their advantage and put the contest beyond the Neroverdi.
A second red card, this time for Rogerio, rounded off a miserable evening for Dionisi’s side who could end the season anywhere from 12th to 15th after a sixth successive winless outing.
Meanwhile, unless Torino beat UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan by eight or more goals, the Viola will finish eighth.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Riccardo Saponara (Fiorentina)
