Como 1907 faltered on Saturday, succumbing to a 1-2 home defeat at the hands of a Fiorentina side fighting for their top-flight lives. Cesc Fabregas's men could find themselves outside the European places by the end of the weekend following a chaotic finale that saw Alvaro Morata shown two yellow cards in a single minute for off-the-ball petulance.

Fresh from the euphoria of dumping Napoli out of the Coppa Italia to reach the semi-finals in mid-week, the Lombardy club suffered a surprising reality check against one of the division's basement dwellers. Conversely, the result breathes new life into Fiorentina's survival bid, leaving them on the cusp of climbing out of the drop zone.

The 'Viola' raced into a two-goal lead. Nicolo Fagioli broke the deadlock in the first half, pouncing on a loose ball during a goalmouth scramble, before Moise Kean showed nerves of steel to dispatch a penalty following Maximo Perrone's clumsy challenge. While Paolo Vanoli's side appeared in total control, they were eventually forced to weather a late storm to secure the points.

Como threw caution to the wind in the second period, introducing Jesus Rodriguez, Addai, and Caqueret from the bench. Their persistence paid off when they forced an own goal from Fabiano Parisi to halve the deficit, sparking nerves in a Fiorentina backline that began to look increasingly brittle and anxious.

However, the 'Larian' outfit were ultimately undone by their own lack of composure. Despite Fabregas's frantic instructions from the technical area, his side were drawn into a series of heated confrontations and cynical fouls that disrupted their rhythm.

The late dismissal of veteran Spanish forward Alvaro Morata was the low point of the afternoon, with the striker receiving two bookings in the space of sixty seconds. Having been cautioned in the 88th minute for a heated exchange with Mandragora, he saw red just a minute later for reacting to Ranieri's provocation with an off-the-ball shove. His cameo lasted a mere 20 minutes, leaving his coach visibly fuming on the touchline.

This setback leaves Como's European hopes hanging in the balance. They remain sixth with 41 points, just two clear of Atalanta, although they retain a game in hand against AC Milan following a postponement due to the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

Despite the win, Fiorentina remain 18th with 21 points in the relegation places. Crucially, however, they have moved level with Lecce, who sit just above the safety line ahead of their fixture later this weekend.

Nicolò Fagioli

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