Fiorentina rises out of Serie A drop zone and Bologna beats Udinese

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FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Moise Kean scored for the third match in a row to help Fiorentina beat Pisa 1-0 and climb out of the Serie A drop zone on Monday.

The result lifted Fiorentina into 16th place and out of the relegation zone for the first time in months. It has the same amount of points as Cremonese and Lecce but was above both on goal difference.

Pisa, which has still won only once all season, was second to last with the same points as last-placed Verona. Both clubs were nine points from safety with 12 games remaining.

Kean followed recent goals against Torino and Como with an early strike from close range after a blocked shot fell kindly at his feet.

Pisa goalkeeper Nícolas made several fine saves while Fiorentina’s second win in a row was only its second clean sheet of the year.

Pisa has gone 15 matches without a league win.

Later, a second-half penalty gave Bologna a 1-0 win over Udinese and lifted it two places into eighth.

Federico Bernardeschi scored from the spot with 15 minutes left after Jesper Karlström was adjudged to have felled Santiago Castro inside the box. It was Bernardeschi’s first goal since returning from a month out with a collarbone injury.

Bologna avoided a fifth consecutive defeat at home in Serie A for the first time since 1991. It climbed above Lazio and Sassuolo.

Udinese, meanwhile, remained 11th.

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