Como Returns to Winning Ways: Fiorentina Defeated, but Controversy Runs High at the “Franchi”
After a rough patch against Frosinone and Feyenoord—interspersed with a 0-0 home draw against Roma—Como returned to winning ways on Matchday 7 of the 2026-2027 Serie A season, defeating Fiorentina 3-1 in a match that, in addition to the four goals, sparked a series of controversies over the referee’s use of video review—Marco Di Bello of the Brindisi Referees’ Association.
In a lively match from the opening minutes, Como started with some bad news: Trevoh Chalobah had to leave the field after just 14 minutes due to a physical issue that will be evaluated in the coming hours. Replacing him was Spaniard Jacobo Ramon, who partnered Marc Oliver Kempf in central defense. Despite this, Como remained focused and took the lead in the 32nd minute with a great left-footed shot by Liberali, his first goal in Serie A.
The Viola’s protests, however, were vehement: it was the contact between Kempf and Gonçalves at the start of the play that angered the Viola players, staff, and fans. Di Bello, who had not noticed any foul play on the field, decided not to consult VAR, further fueling the controversy over the protocol for using video review during matches. Shaken by what had happened, Fiorentina lost their composure and conceded the 2-0 goal in the 36th minute: Nico Paz scored with a header off a cross from the left by Valle.
However, the two-goal lead lasted just six minutes: Fiorentina’s reaction led to Pongracic’s goal in the 42nd minute, making it 2-1, with a powerful shot following a corner kick that left Butez with no chance. The Croatian defender would have scored a second goal in stoppage time of the first half, but after a video review lasting over five minutes (the second point of controversy of the afternoon, given that the semi-automatic offside system was unavailable due to technical issues), the goal was disallowed.
Having weathered the scare, Como returned to the field determined to extend their lead once again, succeeding in the 56th minute: a mistake by Gonçalves sparked a Como counterattack; Nico Paz set up the Greek forward, who beat De Gea with a precise shot to make it 3-1. Fiorentina deserves credit for fighting until the very end, but the chances that fell to Njie in the 74th minute and Fagioli in the 76th and 79th minutes did not result in goals.
The final push did not result in any further changes to the scoreboard: Como won 3-1 and moved back to within 5 points of the top, while Fiorentina plunged back into a nightmare, finding themselves among the teams in second-to-last place.
