Palermo 1 - 3 Fiorentina: Josip Ilicic brace helps to keep Fiorentina top of Serie A

Fiorentina maintained their pursuit of a first Serie A title in almost 50 years with a 3-1 win at Palermo.

Paulo Sousa's Tuscans were largely grateful to Josip Ilicic, who returned to the Stadio Renzo Barbera to smash a brace past his previous employers.

Alberto Gilardino also scored against his former paymasters to set up a nervy finish but Jakub Blaszczykowski made sure of the win with a third goal for Fiorentina in stoppage time.

Fiorentina appeared fired up from the get-go and went close to opening the scoring through Nikola Kalinic in the 10th minute.

Ilicic would make the breakthrough moments later, the Slovenian punishing his former club with a stylish finish at the near post after he had nutmegged Edoardo Goldaniga.

La Viola kept pushing and Stefano Sorrentino did well to deny Matias Vecino when the Uruguayan let rip with a fearsome right-footed drive.

Ilicic made it 2-0 before the break. Kalinic slipped a cute pass to his team-mate and Sorrentino was left stranded as he whipped the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area.

Former Fiorentina striker Gilardino made it a contest with a goal for Palermo in the 77th minute. Franco Vazquez swung in a cross that the well-travelled veteran could not help but put away.

It was a case of too little, too late for the Rosanero, however. A scruffy loss of possession in midfield allowed Borja Valero to pick out Blaszczykowski, who got the better of a stranded Sorrentino.