Bologna sees off Fiorentina

The Rossoblu went into the game unbeaten in six Serie A games and on the back of a 3-0 win over Inter Milan.

And once Ramirez had put it two up just before half-time, it never looked like losing - especially when Ruben Oliveira had seen red four minutes into the second period.

The win, from a match postponed earlier in the month because of heavy snow, lifts it seven points clear of the relegation zone and below its opponent on goal difference alone.

It was the host which was first to attack as Mikael Antonsson headed a free-kick from Ramirez wide.

At the other end, Stevan Jovetic's curling effort from outside the box in the fifth minute went narrowly wide of the right post.

Bologna had more chances, Ramirez firing a free-kick wide and Gaby Mudingayi missing the target after doing well in advancing into the box, before Ramirez wasted a glorious chance by volleying wide when Marco Di Vaio's free-kick found him at the far post.

After 27 minutes the Viola went close when a good one-two between Jovetic and Amauri set the Brazil-born striker to shoot at goal, only for Jean Francois Gillet to produce a superb save.

And three minutes later Bologna was ahead as Di Vaio's lovely ball found Diamanti, who scored with a clever backheel from close range.

Fiorentina responded as a close-range header from Amauri brought another fine sae out of Gillet and Riccardo Montolivo shot wide.

Again Bologna made it pay two minutes before the break, Di Vaio setting up Ramirez, whose initial shot was saved by Artur Boruc, but the former Celtic goalkeeper could do nothing about the effort from the rebound.

The game was all but over when Oliveira made a clumsy challenge on Diamanti at the start of the second half and was shown a straight red card.

Bologna had plenty of chances to add to its tally - the best of which saw Boruc turn Nico Pulzetti's strike behind - but the points were already safe.