Sassuolo
Fiorentina’s Second-Half Blitz Stuns Sassuolo in Six-Goal Serie A Thriller
Fiorentina produced a devastating second-half display to overturn a halftime deficit and thrash Sassuolo 4-2 in Serie A’s 10th round, turning the Mapei Stadium into a house of horrors for the shell-shocked hosts.
Sassuolo’s Early Promise Crashes Down
Armand Lauriente sent the home fans into raptures after 25 minutes, turning home Sebastiano Esposito’s cutback to crown Sassuolo’s early dominance (58% possession). But the cracks appeared when Ibrahim Sulemana’s reckless 40th-minute yellow card sparked a rash of bookings – Radu Dragusin and Alieu Njie both seeing yellow before halftime. Just as Sassuolo looked set to take a lead into the break, Mateo Pellegrino rose unmarked to nod home Njie’s cross in first-half stoppage time – the sucker punch that changed everything.
Fiorentina’s Young Guns Take Over
The Viola emerged transformed after the interval. Within five minutes, 19-year-old Gambian winger Alieu Njie – already with an assist to his name – pounced on Marco Brescianini’s through ball to slot past Turati. Sassuolo briefly rallied when Lauriente grabbed his second on 65 minutes, nutmegging Dragusin before firing low. But Fiorentina’s teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono (18) restored the lead with 11 minutes left, finishing Pedro Goncalves’ squared pass before substitute Victor Valdepenas Talavera rubbed salt in wounds with a 93rd-minute breakaway.
What This Means for Both Sides
Sassuolo’s sixth straight league defeat leaves them plummeting towards relegation, their early promise evaporating under Alessandro Aquilani. For Paulo Vanoli’s Fiorentina, this comeback – sealed despite being outpassed 562 to 402 – proves their young blood can deliver when it matters. With xG of 2.55 to Sassuolo’s 0.9, the scoreline flattered neither the Viola’s cutting edge nor the hosts’ defensive frailties.
Key Moments
25′ ⚽ Sassuolo — Armand Lauriente (assist: Sebastiano Esposito)
45+2′ ⚽ Fiorentina — Mateo Pellegrino (assist: Alieu Njie)
50′ ⚽ Fiorentina — Alieu Njie (assist: Marco Brescianini)
65′ ⚽ Sassuolo — Armand Lauriente (assist: Nemanja Matić)
