The Championship began with a regular season encounter between San Marino Academy and Fiorentina on the twenty-eighth of August. The visitors secured a 2:0 victory, moving into fourth place in the standings. And here's the thing, the away side did not travel to make up the numbers, arriving with a reputation that shows in their position.
A. Azzurro scored for the hosts in the fortieth minute, giving the home fans a moment of hope. It was a clean strike, though the advantage would not hold.
Fifteen minutes later, G. Molinari stepped up for a penalty for the visitors, but he missed the target. To be fair, the home defence had thrown bodies in the way to force the situation. The miss left the visitors frustrated but they remained composed.
The decisive moment came in the eighty-first minute when M. Pintore netted for Fiorentina. That goal extended their unbeaten run to eight, a statistic that speaks to their consistency. The hosts were left chasing shadows with little time remaining. It was a clinical finish that sealed the result.
The numbers on the board told a different story about control. San Marino Academy held 57 percent possession and launched 93 attacks, yet they only managed two shots on target alongside five off target. Fiorentina were more clinical with four shots on target from eight attempts. Efficiency clearly outweighed possession in this contest.
The result leaves the hosts at the bottom of the table with zero points from one game. Fiorentina move into fourth place with three points, a position they look comfortable holding. It was a start that confirms the gap between the two sides this season.