Cremonese v Fiorentina Live Commentary & Result, 05/04/2023, Coppa Italia

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The second leg takes place on April 27 at the Artemio Franchi Stadium. Next up for both sides, Cremonese travel to Sampdoria while Fiorentina host Spezia.

Fiorentina have one foot in the Coppa Italia final after a dominant away performance saw them record a 2-0 win against ten-men Cremonese in the first leg of the semi-final. Arthur Cabral's header and Nicolas Gonzalez's penalty wrapped up a comfortable victory for La Viola who are now unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions. Fiorentina were much the better team in the first half and took a deserved lead when Cabral rose highest to head home Cristiano Biraghi's cross in the 20th minute and they found their second when Gonzalez slotted home from the spot after Cabral's effort was blocked by Emanuel Aiwu's hand with the centre-back sent off after a VAR check.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: CREMONESE 0-2 FIORENTINA

90' + 3' Castrovilli receives the ball from Brekalo but fires well over the bar.

90' There will be four minutes of added time to end this first leg.

88' Cremonese with a late free-kick but Terracciano gets out well to smother Dessers' effort.

G. Castrovilli

R. Mandragora

86' Mandragora comes off in midfield as well with Castrovilli brought on in his place.

J. Brekalo

J. Ikoné

86' Fiorentina make a double change. First off is Ikone with Brekalo replacing him.

85' As we enter the last five minutes Cremonese surely need a goal and something to take into the second leg.

L. Jović

Arthur Cabral

82' Fiorentina make a change and goalscorer Cabral comes off for Jovic.

79' Cabral makes a positive burst down the left but his attempted cross evades Ikone at the far post.

78' Afena-Gyan fires an effort on goal which is blocked. The striker appeals for handball but the referee is unmoved.

L. Lochoshvili

M. Benassi

76' Cremonese make a sub after the goal as Benassi comes off for Lochoshvili.

N. González

Penalty Goal

75' GOAAAALLLL!!! FIORENTINA DOUBLE THEIR LEAD!! 2-0!! Gonzalez steps up and makes no mistake as he sends the keeper the wrong way and rolls the ball into the net.

E. Aiwu

Red Card

73' RED CARD! Aiwu is sent off for the hand ball on the line and Cremonese are down to ten.

72' PENALTY!! Fiorentina almost score when Cabral's header is saved by Sarr. The away side work another chance in the box and the follow-up effort is blocked by Aiwu but replays show it struck the defender's hand

G. Bonaventura

A. Barák

70' Barak comes off as Fiorentina make their first change with Bonaventura coming on.

69' Cabral tees it back to Amrabat on the edge of the box but the Moroccan midfielder's effort flies high over the bar.

F. Afena-Gyan

D. Ciofani

67' Another change for Cremonese as Afena-Gyan comes on for Ciofani.

65' After their positive start to the second half, Cremonese have lost a touch of control on this game as Fiorentina re-assert themselves into the tie.

L. Sernicola

M. Bianchetti

63' Cremonese make another change with Bianchetti brought off for Sernicola.

60' SAVE!! Another chance and Dessers has certainly make a difference since coming on. The forward brings the ball down the left wing and works it inside to Buonaiuto who initially takes a bad touch but recovers to poke an effort on goal, which Terracciano is equal to with a great stop.

59' Fiorentina work the ball into the box and Cabral sees an effort blocked. A scramble ensues but Sarr is able to claim the ball.

57' Meite bundles over Barak as he looks to spin away and Fiorentina win a free-kick just inside Cremonese's half.

53' Barak is fed the ball from Dodo on the right but is effort is too high and drifts over the bar.

50' SAVE! The first signs of life from Cremonese and it is the substitute Dessers. He picks up the ball a long way from goal but jinxes inside and out and has the beating of the Fiorentina defence. He creates a goalscoring opportunity but his effort is straight at Terracciano who gets a firm hand on it to turn it away from goal.

50' Biraghi's cross is headed goalbound by Gonzalez but the effort lacks enough power to trouble Sarr in the Cremonese goal.

47' Fiorentina begin the second half how they ended the first - on top. Ikone bursts down the right and cuts in on his left but his effort drifts just wide of the post.

46' Fiorentina get this second half underway.

C. Dessers

F. Tsadjout

46' Up front, Tsadjout comes off for Dessers.

C. Buonaiuto

M. Castagnetti

46' Cremonese make a double change at half-time. Castagnetti makes way for Buonaiuto in midfield.

This is a two-legged affair but Cremonese will have to do an awful lot better in that second half and make use of this home tie. They had only three shots with none on target in that first half and Ballardini will no doubt demand better from his side after the break. Italiano will be pleased with how his Fiorentina side have performed but perhaps frustrated they only have one goal to show for it. He will no doubt be keen to ensure they press home their advantage and put one foot in the final in the second half.

As we enter the break, Fiorentina have a deserved 1-0 lead after Cabral's header. The away side have been in much better form in the league and it showed in the opening half with an early chance for Ikone saved before Cabral nodded home from a Biraghi cross. Gonzalez should have made it two with a close-range header but he saw his effort saved by Sarr. Cremonese have hardly threatened and Tsadjout's early effort - which the striker dragged wide - was their only good opportunity of the half.

45' + 3' CREMONESE 0-1 FIORENTINA

45' + 3' A late corner for Fiorentina after Quarta's long-range effort is tipped over the bar. Cremonese deal with the corner, though.

45' There will be three minutes of added time to end this first half.

43' Cremonese deliver a long free-kick up the pitch from inside their own half. Tsadjout wins a good flick-on header but none of his teammates are able to get hold of the second ball and Fiorentina can clear.

40' Aiwu and Gonzalez tangle in the box and the Fiorentina players appeal for a penalty. VAR takes a look but does not award a penalty.

L. Martínez

Yellow Card

38' Quarta is the first player into the book after the Fiorentina centre-back elbows Tsadjout as the pair compete for a header.

36' Aiwu barges through the back of Gonzalez and Fiorentina win a foul.

33' Barak has had a lively start to this game and he makes another promising burst down the left before being dispossessed.

30' Biraighi now with a good chance as he is slipped through by Barak but the left-foot powerful effort flies over the bar.

29' HUGE CHANCE! Fiorentina have a great opportunity and they should be two goals ahead. It's another fantastic cross - this time from Ikone on the right - and Gonzalez meets it just yards out but the winger can only direct his header straight at Sarr who makes a great reaction save. Gonzalez can't direct the rebound on target and it's a huge miss for the away side.

26' Fiorentina nearly make a meal out of clearing an incoming free-kick as Biraghi heads the ball straight up but Terracciano shows good command of his area to come out and clear the ball away.

23' Cremonese have tried to work their way back into the game since going a goal down but have failed to create any openings as of yet.

C. Biraghi

Assist

20' It's a delicious cross from Biraghi - his pin-point cross was perfect for Cabral to attack and he made no mistake with his expert header into the corner.

Arthur Cabral

Goal

20' GOOOOAAAAALLL!!! FIORENTINA SCORE!! 1-0!! The away side have had the better of the opening 20 minutes and they get their goal through Cabral. Cremonese clear the corner initially but the ball is recycled and Biraghi whips in an inviting cross with Cabral rising highest to flick home across goal and give Fiorentina the lead.

18' Ikone tries to jinx in from the left flank but the Cremonese defense holds firm and clears the danger.

16' Cabral attempts an audacious backheel volley as the cross comes in from the left but it drifts harmlessly wide.

14' Quarta plays a long ball up to Gonzalez from the back who chests it down expertly to Cabral. The striker takes it in his stride but his crisp drive is just wide of the post with Sarr sprawling to cover it.

11' Cremonese take a free-kick short but Valeri's effort from long range drifts wide of the post.

9' WIDE! Cremonese respond with their first big chance of the game. The ball drops graciously at the feet of Tsadjout who shifts it onto his left boot before firing across goal. His effort has the beating of Terracciano but also the left post and it drifts narrowly wide.

5' CHANCE! The away side carve out the first good chance of the game and perhaps should be head. Barak and Ikone combine well down the right before the latter gets into the box. His effort is saved well by Sarr and Barak slipes as he looks to divert the rebound on target.

4' A slow start to this encounter with both sides easing their way into the match.

1' Cremonese get this first half underway.

The players are coming out and we are moments away from kick-off in this sem-final first leg!

Fiorentina are looking to make their first Coppa Italia since the 2000/01 season. They have lost in their last four semi-finals in the competition.

Vincenzo Italiano, meanwhile, makes three changes to his Fiorentina side that won 1-0 against Inter. Bonaventura, who scored in the win, drops to the bench and is replaced by Amrabat. On the left wing, Riccardo Saponara misses out with Gonzalez replacing him and behind the striker, Barak is preferred to Castrovilli.

Davide Ballardini makes two changes to his Cremonese side that lost 3-1 to Atalanta on the weekend. In goal, Marco Carnesecchi is replaced by Sarr while Lochoshvili makes way for Vasquez in central defence.

FIORENTINA SUBS: Gaetano Castrovilli, Luca Ranieri, Josip Brekalo, Giacomo Bonaventura, Christian Kouame, Alfred Duncan, Riccardo Sottil, Michele Cerofolini, Lorenzo Venuti, Aleksa Terzic, Alessandro Bianco, Luka Jovic, Tommaso Vannucchi.

FIORENTINA (4-3-2-1): Pietro Terracciano; Dodo, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Igor, Cristiano Biraghi; Rolando Mandragora, Sofyan Amrabat; Jonathan Ikone, Antonin Barak, Nicolas Gonzalez; Arthur Cabral.

CREMONESE SUBS: Luka Lochoshvili, Cristian Buonaiuto, Gianluca Saro, Pablo Galdames, Felix Afena-Gyan, Giacomo Quagliata, Leonardo Sernicola, Marco Carnesecchi, Cyriel Dessers.

CREMONESE (3-5-2): Mouhamadou Sarr; Emanuel Aiwu, Matteo Bianchetti, Johan Vasquez; Charles Pickel, Marco Benassi, Michele Castagnetti, Soualiho Meite, Emanuele Valeri; Frank Tsadjout, Daniel Ciofani.

Both sides enter into this fixture off the back of contrasting form. Cremonese are winless in their last four Serie A matches including a weekend 3-1 defeat against Atalanta. In fact, their only two victories in their last 11 games have come against Roma - once in the league ad the other in their Coppa Italia quarter-final to reach this stage. Fiorentina, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last ten games in all competitions. They produced a superb performance to beat Inter 1-0 away from home last weekend and reached the semi-finals after 2-1 victory over Torino.

Hello and welcome to this live commentary for the Coppa Italia semi-final between Cremonese and Fiorentina from the Giovanni Zini stadium.

Cremonese v Fiorentina Live Commentary, 05/04/2023

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