A Nightmare for Fiorentina: Torino Stuns Them at the Franchi. Furious Fans and Grosso’s Job on the Line

A shocking start for Fabio Grosso’s Fiorentina, which suffered its third straight loss in the first three Serie A matches. The Viola were defeated 2-1 at the Franchi by Torino, which overturned Pellegrino’s early lead with goals from former Fiorentina player Mandragora and Adams. Abate’s team picked up its first three points, while the Gigliati remain dismally at zero and left the field to boos: Grosso’s job is already beginning to look precarious.

In the first half, Fiorentina did too little, and the Franchi crowd lost patience. The Viola started well and had two great chances through new signings Mastantuono and Nije, but then it was the Granata who tested De Gea with a shot from former Fiorentina player Mandragora. As the minutes ticked by, the match lost its spark: the visitors were well-organized and began to take control of the game, dictating the pace. The home team was stifled, and the first boos began to ring out from the stands. Before halftime, Abate lost Coco to injury, and Ismajli came on.

Fiorentina shook off their sluggishness early in the second half and took the lead through Pellegrino: the former Parma striker beat a caught-off-guard Lucas Perri with a shot from outside the box in the 48th minute, putting the Viola ahead. Grosso’s team gained confidence and created chances through Gnonto and Atta, though they lacked precision.

Toro didn’t give up and regained control of the ball; after two good chances by Vlasic, they equalized at 1-1 in the 74th minute: it was none other than former Mandragora, with a great left-footed shot from distance, who scored the equalizer. The Torino midfielder almost apologized to the Viola fans after the goal.

In the 82nd minute, Torino took the lead: Belghali beat Valdepenas and fed Che Adams in the box, who—despite a poor first touch—pulled off an acrobatic move to beat Joao Mario and De Gea, scoring the visitors’ 2-1 goal. A thrilling finale: Fiorentina threw everything forward in a last-ditch effort, while Torino held on. But the Viola ran out of ideas, and the match ended amid boos from the home crowd.