VENICE, ITALY, September 11, 2026: Four days after bringing Paolo Vanoli back to rescue another troubled start, Fiorentina finally found the response they desperately needed.
Franco Mastantuono scored a hat-trick and Mateo Pellegrino added another goal as Fiorentina came from behind to beat Venezia 4-2 at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, collecting their first points of the 2026-27 Serie A season after three consecutive defeats.
Akor Adams gave Venezia the lead in the 22nd minute, but Mastantuono scored twice in rapid succession in the 29th and 30th minutes to turn the match around. Pellegrino made it 3-1 in the 66th minute before Mastantuono completed his hat-trick in the 84th. Antoine Hainaut scored Venezia’s second two minutes later, but the hosts never found a route back.
The result offers Fiorentina something they had been missing throughout a turbulent opening month: evidence that their expensive rebuild can translate individual talent into decisive football. For wider context, The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Fiorentina’s 2-1 defeat to Torino showed how quickly their first three losses had turned an uncomfortable start into a managerial crisis.
Venezia 2-4 Fiorentina: Match at a Glance
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Serie A 2026-27 |
| Matchday | 4 |
| Venue | Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, Venice |
| Result | Venezia 2-4 Fiorentina |
| Venezia scorers | Akor Adams 22′, Antoine Hainaut 86′ |
| Fiorentina scorers | Franco Mastantuono 29′, 30′, 84′; Mateo Pellegrino 66′ |
| Possession | Venezia 63% – 37% Fiorentina |
| Shots | Venezia 8 – 15 Fiorentina |
| Shots on target | Venezia 3 – 9 Fiorentina |
| Passes | Venezia 560 – 330 Fiorentina |
| Pass accuracy | Venezia 91% – 82% Fiorentina |
Official fixtures and competition information are available through Lega Serie A, which listed Friday’s match as the opening fixture of Matchday 4.
Mastantuono Turns the Match in 60 Seconds
Venezia’s opening goal could easily have pushed Fiorentina deeper into the problems that defined their first three matches.
Adams scored in the 22nd minute to give the home side a 1-0 advantage, leaving Vanoli’s players facing another early-season test of confidence.
The response was immediate and ruthless.
Mastantuono equalized in the 29th minute and scored again only one minute later. Within roughly 60 seconds, Fiorentina went from chasing the match to controlling its emotional direction.
That sequence matters because Fiorentina had entered Venice after scoring only once across their first three league matches. Pellegrino’s goal against Torino had been their only Serie A breakthrough before Friday.
The Sports Encounter documented the scale of that struggle in our Fiorentina-Torino report, where the Viola created enough chances to compete but still found themselves beaten for the third consecutive time.
Mastantuono changed the tone of this match before doubt could settle again.
Fiorentina Win Without Needing the Ball
The most revealing statistic from the match may be Fiorentina’s 37% possession.
Venezia completed 560 passes compared with Fiorentina’s 330 and operated at 91% passing accuracy. The hosts also controlled 63% of possession.
None of those advantages translated into superior attacking output.
Fiorentina attempted 15 shots to Venezia’s eight and put nine on target compared with only three from the hosts.
| Statistic | Venezia | Fiorentina |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 8 | 15 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 9 |
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Passes | 560 | 330 |
| Pass accuracy | 91% | 82% |
| Fouls | 10 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
| Corners | 2 | 4 |
That contrast provides the clearest explanation for the result.
Venezia circulated the ball more often. Fiorentina used theirs more aggressively.
The visitors generated almost twice as many shots and three times as many attempts on target despite having the ball considerably less often.
It is a pattern that has already appeared elsewhere in Serie A this season. Atalanta recently defeated Bologna despite spending long periods without control, a match examined in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of Lazar Samardžić’s late winner.
Possession still matters. What Fiorentina showed in Venice was that possession without penetration can become cosmetic.
Vanoli’s Return Produces an Immediate Change
Friday was Paolo Vanoli’s first match since returning to Fiorentina for a second spell.
The club dismissed Fabio Grosso after three consecutive league defeats and brought Vanoli back only days before the trip to Venice. Reuters reported that Fiorentina had scored just one goal and conceded nine during Grosso’s three Serie A matches before making the change. Vanoli accepted the job immediately and returned to training on September 7.
The symbolism of his first fixture was difficult to ignore.
Vanoli previously managed Venezia and led them back to Serie A. He was now returning to the Penzo with Fiorentina needing another rescue job.
Last season, Vanoli had already been called upon to stabilize Fiorentina after Stefano Pioli’s departure. He kept the club in Serie A before leaving during the summer, only to be recalled after Grosso’s tenure lasted three league matches.
One victory does not solve the structural problems behind that sequence of decisions.
It does, however, give Vanoli something every emergency appointment needs quickly: credibility from a result.
Pellegrino Continues to Deliver During Fiorentina’s Reset
Mateo Pellegrino’s 66th-minute goal gave Fiorentina the breathing room they needed.
His finish made the score 3-1 and forced Venezia to chase a match that had already moved increasingly toward Fiorentina’s preferred transition game.
Pellegrino also scored Fiorentina’s only league goal during the Grosso era, putting them ahead against Torino before the Granata responded through Rolando Mandragora and Ché Adams.
That earlier defeat is important context because it showed how fragile Fiorentina’s advantages had become. They scored first and still lost.
Against Venezia, Pellegrino’s contribution arrived after Mastantuono had already changed the match, giving Fiorentina a two-goal cushion rather than a lead they needed to protect nervously.
The difference was substantial.
Mastantuono Delivers the Performance Fiorentina Needed From Their Rebuild
Fiorentina spent the summer rebuilding around younger attacking talent and several major additions. Mastantuono was always likely to carry considerable attention because of the creativity and individual quality attached to his arrival.
His opening weeks contained flashes without the result Fiorentina needed.
Against Frosinone, he struck the post during a 3-0 home defeat. Against Torino, he threatened early but could not prevent another loss.
In Venice, potential became production.
Three goals in one match transformed his personal start and Fiorentina’s night.
The first two came when the team needed an immediate response. The third, in the 84th minute, effectively closed the contest before Hainaut’s late Venezia goal.
That sequence is why this performance should be judged as more than a hat-trick against a struggling opponent.
Fiorentina were psychologically vulnerable when he scored his first.
They were ahead when he scored his second.
They needed the game closed when he completed the hat-trick.
He delivered in three different match states.
Venezia’s Possession Problem Is Becoming Familiar
Venezia will look at 63% possession and 560 completed passes and wonder how the match became a two-goal defeat.
The answer lies in what happened after the buildup.
Eight total shots from that much possession is a modest return. Only three were on target.
Fiorentina, with 230 fewer passes, produced 15 attempts and nine on target.
Venezia have already experienced a different version of the same problem this season.
AC Milan defeated them 2-0 at San Siro in Matchday 2 after Venezia again struggled to convert competitive phases into enough genuine attacking danger. The Sports Encounter examined that performance in our analysis of Milan’s 2-0 win over Venezia.
The opening weekend had also gone badly, with Lecce beating Venezia 2-0. That result formed part of our Serie A opening-weekend review.
By the end of Matchday 3, Venezia were still without a point, alongside Fiorentina and Genoa. Our Serie A Matchday 3 analysis highlighted how quickly the bottom of the early table was beginning to develop pressure.
Friday’s result makes that pressure heavier for Venezia.
Why This Win Matters More Than Fiorentina’s Temporary Table Position
The live table showed Fiorentina moving into 15th place after the match, while Venezia dropped to 20th.
Those positions are provisional because the rest of Matchday 4 had not yet been played.
The more important development is simpler: Fiorentina finally have three points.
They began the season with a 4-0 defeat at Roma, lost 3-0 to promoted Frosinone during the club’s centenary celebrations, and then fell 2-1 to Torino.
That sequence had already cost Grosso his job.
The wider Serie A picture also makes recovery urgent. Inter and Roma entered Matchday 4 with perfect records, while Como had seven points and Juventus and Milan remained firmly within the early European conversation. Those trends were examined in our Matchday 3 review.
Fiorentina are not suddenly back in that conversation because of one away victory.
They have, however, stopped moving in the opposite direction.
Fiorentina’s Attack Finally Resembles the One Built During the Summer
The summer expectations surrounding Fiorentina were not modest.
The club entered its centenary season with major changes across the squad and an attacking group expected to make the team more dynamic.
The Sports Encounter’s complete Serie A 2026-27 preview identified Fiorentina as one of several clubs whose season would depend on how quickly a significant rebuild became coherent.
The first three matches suggested the answer might be: not quickly enough.
Friday provided a different possibility.
Mastantuono scored three.
Pellegrino scored again.
Fiorentina put nine attempts on target away from home.
They created that output without needing territorial dominance.
That last point may matter most for Vanoli because he has inherited a squad he did not assemble and had only a few training sessions before his first match.
A manager arriving in those circumstances does not need immediate stylistic perfection.
He needs repeatable strengths.
Direct attacking, efficient transitions and getting Mastantuono into decisive areas are useful places to start.
Venezia Cannot Afford to Confuse Control With Threat
Giovanni Stroppa’s team did several things well enough to make the defeat frustrating.
They passed accurately.
They had long stretches of possession.
They scored first.
They still conceded four.
The problem was not simply defensive collapse. It was the relationship between their possession and the pressure it created.
Fiorentina were able to tolerate long Venezia passing sequences because the home side rarely converted them into sustained penalty-area danger.
That allowed Vanoli’s players to remain compact enough to attack space when possession changed.
Fiorentina’s 15 shots from 37% possession demonstrate how productive those transitions became.
Venezia’s next step has to be making their 63% of the ball worth more than territorial comfort.
Serie A’s Early Season Is Already Producing Extreme Swings
Fiorentina’s sudden turnaround fits a league that has been unusually volatile through its opening weeks.
Roma began the campaign with consecutive four-goal victories, including a 4-0 opening-day win over Fiorentina. The Sports Encounter examined their explosive early form in our report on Roma’s 4-0 victory over Lecce.
Atalanta have shown the opposite route to points, winning matches in which opponents controlled more of the ball. Milan have demonstrated patience, while Inter have already shown their ability to recover after falling behind.
The broader competitive landscape was mapped before kickoff in our Serie A title-race preview.
Fiorentina entered that season expecting to compete much higher than the relegation places.
After four matches, their challenge is more immediate.
They have to prove Venice was the beginning of a recovery rather than one explosive night.
The Sports Encounter Verdict
Fiorentina did not suddenly become a finished team at the Penzo.
They still allowed two goals. They still spent most of the match without the ball. Their managerial situation remains evidence of a club that has already had to change direction barely three weeks into the league season.
What changed was their efficiency.
Against Torino, Fiorentina created opportunities and lost.
Against Venezia, they attacked less often in possession terms but far more effectively when openings appeared.
Mastantuono was the difference-maker they needed. Pellegrino continued to provide goals. Vanoli returned and immediately collected the first league victory of Fiorentina’s season.
For Venezia, the warning is equally clear.
Possession can make a team look comfortable.
Friday night showed how quickly comfort becomes irrelevant when the opponent creates the better chances.
FAQ
Who won Venezia vs Fiorentina?
Fiorentina defeated Venezia 4-2 at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo in Serie A on September 11, 2026.
Who scored for Fiorentina against Venezia?
Franco Mastantuono scored three goals in the 29th, 30th and 84th minutes. Mateo Pellegrino scored Fiorentina’s other goal in the 66th minute.
Who scored for Venezia?
Akor Adams gave Venezia the lead in the 22nd minute, while Antoine Hainaut scored their second goal in the 86th minute.
Did Franco Mastantuono score a hat-trick?
Yes. Mastantuono scored his first Serie A hat-trick of the season with goals in the 29th, 30th and 84th minutes.
How much possession did Fiorentina have?
Fiorentina had only 37% possession compared with Venezia’s 63%, but the visitors produced 15 shots and nine attempts on target.
Was this Paolo Vanoli’s first match back as Fiorentina coach?
Yes. Vanoli returned after Fiorentina dismissed Fabio Grosso following three consecutive Serie A defeats. The Venezia match was the first game of Vanoli’s second spell in charge.
How many points do Fiorentina have?
Fiorentina moved to three points after earning their first victory of the 2026-27 Serie A season. Their league position remained provisional while the rest of Matchday 4 was still to be played.
