Fiorentina emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter against AC Milan, securing a 2-1 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, highlighted by David de Gea’s incredible performance in goal for Fiorentina.
The Spanish goalkeeper became the unlikely hero for Fiorentina, denying AC Milan twice from the penalty spot. He first saved a penalty from Theo Hernandez in the first half, making a stunning one-handed stop in the bottom corner. De Gea then produced another brilliant save, this time diving to his right to keep out Tammy Abraham’s spot-kick in the second half. It was the first time in Serie A since May 2016 that a goalkeeper saved two penalties in a single match.
Fiorentina took the lead in the 33rd minute when Yacine Adli, on loan from AC Milan, found the back of the net with a low shot from the edge of the box. The midfielder, out of respect for his parent club, refrained from celebrating his goal.
AC Milan, however, equalized on the hour mark through Christian Pulisic. The American winger produced a perfect volley from a cross to bring his team back into the game. But Fiorentina regained the lead in the 73rd minute when Albert Gudmundsson scored with a well-taken shot.
The drama continued as Fiorentina’s coach, Raffaele Palladino, was sent off for protesting a decision. Moise Kean, who had a frustrating night for AC Milan with a missed penalty and two disallowed goals, nearly scored a spectacular goal in the dying minutes but his powerful shot hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out.
To add to AC Milan’s misery, Theo Hernandez, celebrating his 27th birthday, was shown a red card for arguing with the referee at the end of the match.
The win moved Fiorentina up to 11th place in the Serie A table with 10 points, while AC Milan remains in sixth place with 11 points, five points behind league leaders Napoli.
De Gea’s heroics were undoubtedly the deciding factor in the match. Speaking to DAZN after the game, he said, “Today’s win is crucial. Finally, the work we’ve put in over the past few weeks is starting to pay off. Beating Milan can set the stage for a different season. It was an incredible night. I want to focus not on the penalties, but on the work the team is doing to give the fans a night like this.”
