Parma squeezed past a toothless Fiorentina with a 1-0 victory at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, extending their upturn in form and provisionally moving five points clear of Serie A’s relegation zone. The result marked a fourth win in seven matches across all competitions for the hosts.

Given the struggles of both sides this season, a cagey opening was hardly a surprise. Clear-cut chances were at a premium, though Parma looked the more likely to break the deadlock. Their best opportunity of the first half arrived just before the interval when Mateo Pellegrino almost connected with a dangerous cross. The loose ball fell kindly to Jacob Ondrejka, but his rebound drifted agonisingly wide of the post. It summed up a muted first half, which ended goalless and low on quality.

The tempo improved after the restart, and Parma wasted little time in asserting themselves. Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Pellegrino’s mishit attempt turned into an assist of sorts, creating space for Oliver Sørensen, who calmly slotted home his first goal of the season to give the home side a precious lead.

Fiorentina responded with renewed urgency and went close to equalising in the 69th minute. Moise Kean produced a brilliant solo run but failed to apply the finishing touch, his effort lacking the conviction needed to trouble the goalkeeper. Shortly after, Niccolò Fortini also threatened, only to see his attempt well blocked inside the box.

As Parma continued to apply sporadic pressure at one end, Fiorentina squandered their best chance of the match at the other. Albert Gudmundsson delivered an inviting cross that Roberto Piccoli should have converted from close range, but the forward somehow missed the target from six yards out. Gudmundsson later tried his luck from distance, forcing a save from Edoardo Corvi late on, but it was not enough to prevent another damaging defeat for Paolo Vanoli’s side.

While Parma are still some distance from guaranteed safety, a third win in five league matches provides real belief that survival is within reach. Fiorentina, meanwhile, remain mired in crisis. A New Year clash with Cremonese offers a chance to close the gap to safety to just a point, but time is running out in what has become a deeply disappointing season for the two-time UEFA Conference League finalists.