Fiorentina defeated Venezia 4-2 at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo on Friday evening in Serie A's fourth round. The visitors took control after an early exchange, with Mastantuono opening the scoring before Adams levelled for the hosts. By then Fiorentina had shifted gears, Pellegrino and a second Mastantuono strike turning the match decisively in their favour.
Adams gave Venezia hope in the 22nd minute, but Mastantuono responded quickly, finding the net in the 29th. Schingtienne received a yellow card before half-time as Busio came off for Venezia. The second half brought two substitutions for Fiorentina at the 60th-minute mark, and Pellegrino made them count, scoring in the 66th. Later, Mastantuono added a second goal in the 84th and Hainaut sealed the result with an 86th-minute strike.
The statistics tell a different story from the scoreboard. Venezia held 62 per cent of possession but registered just 0.71 expected goals, while Fiorentina managed 3.36 xG from 38 per cent possession. Shots on target tell the real tale: Fiorentina hit the target 10 times against Venezia's four, and created six big chances compared to two for the hosts. It was efficiency over dominance.
Venezia remain rooted at the bottom of the table after four defeats, leaving them on zero points. Fiorentina move to 15th with three points from one win, though their recent form has been poor — they lost three of their previous four matches before this victory. We had tipped them to win, and at 68 per cent confidence that prediction held up. The away end never stopped, even if the result felt inevitable.
The goal difference now stands at 4-2 in Fiorentina's favour, with the visitors taking all three points to a ground where Venezia had failed to secure anything. It was not a spectacle of flair so much as a demonstration of finishing quality. What matters is the three points, not the possession figures.
