Fiorentina's Nicolo Fagioli celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie...

Fiorentina's Nicolo Fagioli celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Fiorentina in Verona, Italy, Saturday, April 4, 2026. Credit: AP/Paola Garbuio

MILAN — Fiorentina goalkeeper David De Gea starred with several huge saves to preserve a 1-0 win against Hellas Verona and pull further away from the Serie A relegation zone on Saturday.

The former Manchester United shot-stopper kept his side in the match before teammate Nicolò Fagioli scored the winner eight minutes from time, against the run of play.

Jack Harrison, on loan from Leeds United, got down the right and laid it off for an unmarked Fagioli to fire in off the inside of the right post.

The tension spilled over four minutes later when Verona midfielder Tomas Suslov and Fiorentina counterpart Albert Guðmundsson got into a brawl, leading to both of them getting sent off with ripped jerseys.

Fiorentina spent most of the first half of the season mired to the foot of the table but has lost only two league matches in 2026. It moved to five points above the drop zone.

Verona remained nine points from safety.

Sublime goal

Andrea Pinamonti’s sublime strike helped Sassuolo fight back to win 2-1 as Cagliari fumbled a precious lead.

Fiorentina's Moise Kean, left, and Verona's Andrias Edmundsson in action...

Fiorentina's Moise Kean, left, and Verona's Andrias Edmundsson in action during the Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and Fiorentina in Verona, Italy, Saturday April 4, 2026. Credit: AP/Paola Garbuio

Cagliari, which was only three points above the relegation zone, went in front through a first-half Sebastiano Esposito penalty.

However, Sassuolo leveled five minutes into the second half. A corner was headed clear only as far as Ulisses Garcia outside the area. The defender controlled the ball on his chest before drilling into the bottom right corner for his first goal in Italy after joining from Marseille in February.

And the comeback was completed in the 78th. Pinamonti gathered a ball with his back to goal, turned his defender and slipped the ball through a narrow gap into the bottom left corner.

Elsewhere, Lazio was held to 1-1 by Parma, which inched seven points above the drop zone.

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