Fiorentina thrashed Hellas Verona 5-0 at the Bentegodi on Sunday afternoon to pick up their first points of the season.
After successive defeats in the opening two rounds, the Viola emerged in determined mood and did not need long to leave their mark.
Simeone scored after just two minutes with Thereau and Astori stretching the Viola’s lead soon after.
Veretout made it four after the restart with a stunning free-kick while Gil Dias put the result beyond all doubt late on.
The Viola made a dream start to the contest and needed just two minutes to break the ice. Benassi’s long range strike was spilled by Hellas goalkeeper Nicolas leaving Giovanni Simeone with the easiest of tap-ins. It was a first in Fiorentina colours for ‘El Cholito’ since his summer switch from Genoa.
Moments later and the Viola had their second of the match. Nicolas was at fault again for the hosts, this time bundling down Chiesa inside the box leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Cyril Thereau held his nerve from the spot to double the Viola’s lead and mark his club bow in the best possible fashion.
The Tuscans were rampant and pushed on in search of a third. Simeone was sent through on goal following a neat pass from an inspired Chiesa only to send it narrowly wide of the mark while Veretout had a scorching strike from distance deflected out for a corner.
Hellas were not at the races and Fiorentina piled on the misery as Davide Astori was left free in the box to prod home on a corner kick to make it 3-0 to the visitors with not even 25 minutes on the clock.
Viola shot-stopper Marco Sportiello was rarely tested although he did watch a Giampaolo Pazzini shot fly over the bar from a golden position. But that effort by ‘Il Pazzo’ – making his first start of the campaign – was one of the few occasions created by the Gialloblu who were booed off the pitch by the home fans at half-time.
Staring a second straight home defeat in the face, Fabio Pecchia turned to his bench making a double substitution. On came Romulo as well as teenage talent Kean, fresh from securing a loan move from Juventus, for Souprayen and Ferrari respectively.
The changes appeared to shake Hellas into life and Kean was almost immediately involved winning a corner with a volley from the edge of the box. Kean had another chance on the volley from the resulting corner but the Italy youth international failed to turn it goalwards.
But the Hellas rally was short-lived and on 62 minutes the Viola added a fourth thanks to a stunning free-kick from Jordan Veretout. The Frenchman opened his Serie A account in style with a curling strike into the top left corner leaving Nicolas with no chance.
In complete control, the Viola took their foot off the gas and Sportiello had to be alert to deny Romulo on the volley from a dangerous position. But the Viola hit back and in the closing stages substitute Gial Dias sealed a convincing win for the Tuscans.