Luca Ranieri added to his surprising goal tally for this season and did just enough to give Fiorentina victory over Torino for top four ambitions.
This was a head-to-head for European places, the Viola trying to break into the top four and Toro sitting six points behind them. Nico Gonzalez, Dodo and Gaetano Castrovilli were long-term absentees, but Giacomo Bonaventura and Lucas Martinez Quarta returned. Karol Linetty and Perr Schuurs didn’t make the trip.
Toro had the first real chance after 24 minutes when Pietro Terracciano flew to fingertip away the Duvan Zapata header on a Samuele Ricci free kick.
Ivan Ilic was decisive in the box with a toe-poke to prevent Lucas Beltran getting his shot away from six yards, but Terracciano made another excellent save getting down so quickly to palm a Valentino Lazaro scuffed finish off the line.
Fiorentina should’ve scored just before the break when Jonathan Ikone intercepted a poor Adrien Tameze back-pass, but failed to beat Vanja Milinkovic-Savic one-on-one.
There would’ve been a penalty for Ricci’s handling offence, but it was neutralised by an earlier offside.
Ikone’s first touch let him down again when sent clear by Rolando Mandragora and M’Bala Nzola, but the deadlock was finally broken after a series of Fiorentina corners.
Michael Kayode whipped in a cross from the right and Luca Ranieri rose to nod downwards from eight yards to give the hosts the lead with his fourth goal of the season in all competition.
Fiorentina ended the match with 10 men, as Riccardo Sottil pulled up mid-run clutching his hamstring in stoppages after the substitutions had been completed.
