Danilo Cataldi fulfilled a heartfelt promise to his hospitalized Fiorentina teammate, Edoardo Bove, by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Cagliari on Sunday. This match marked Fiorentina’s first Serie A game since Bove collapsed during a match against Inter Milan last weekend and was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma.
Bove, 22, has been awake and alert since last Monday as doctors continue to investigate the cause of his collapse.
Cataldi found the top corner of the net midway through the first half, securing Fiorentina’s eighth consecutive win in the Italian league, matching the club record set in 1960. After scoring, Cataldi celebrated by running towards a TV camera, holding up four fingers in tribute to Bove’s No. 4 jersey, and forming a heart symbol with his hands while exclaiming, “I told you. I told you.”
“I texted him before the match, saying: ‘Watch the game on TV because I’m going to score a goal into the top corner,’” Cataldi recounted. “He said it was ‘impossible.’ We’re pleased that he’s feeling well and about these three points.”
With this victory, Fiorentina moved level on points with third-place Inter Milan, having a game in hand due to the abandonment of their previous match. They are now just three points behind new league leaders Atalanta, who are on a nine-game winning streak, and one point behind second-place Napoli, which suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Lazio. Gustav Isaksen scored the decisive goal for Lazio with a long-range shot late in the second half.
Lazio’s win also allowed them to equal Inter and Fiorentina on points. Napoli, who had been leading the league for much of the season under first-year coach Antonio Conte, has now lost at home to both Atalanta and Lazio. Lazio has been in strong form, winning six of their last seven matches.
In other Serie A action, Empoli triumphed over Hellas Verona with a 4-1 scoreline, moving up to ninth place, while Venezia and Como played to a 2-2 draw.
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