Mastantuono Hat-Trick Sinks Venezia: Fiorentina Win 4-2 in Serie A
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Let me be straight with you. Venezia lost this game 4-2. They had 63 per cent of the ball. They generated 100 attacks to Fiorentina's 87. They put in 21 crosses. And they still lost by two goals. That is not a statistical anomaly. That is a team that does not know how to win.
How It Unfolded
Venezia drew first blood. Akor Adams put the home side ahead in the 22nd minute with a right-foot shot, assisted by Gianluca Busio. Credit where it is due. It was a moment of quality and it gave the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo something to believe in.
Then Franco Mastantuono happened.
The Fiorentina midfielder scored with a left-foot shot in the 29th minute, assisted by Alex Jimenez. One minute later, in the 30th minute, he scored again with his left foot, this time assisted by Beto. Two goals in two minutes. Venezia went into the break behind despite having dominated possession for large stretches. That is the thing. Dominating the ball means nothing if you cannot defend when it matters.
Busio was substituted off at minute 44 after picking up a knock, which stripped Venezia of their most creative outlet at precisely the wrong moment. They went in at half-time 2-1 down and already looking short of ideas.
Fiorentina Killed the Game After the Break
The second half told you everything about where these two clubs are right now. Fiorentina sent on Wilfried Gnonto and Mateo Pellegrino at the hour mark, and Pellegrino made an immediate impact. Six minutes after coming on, he slotted home with his left foot to make it 3-1. The assist came from Nicolo Fagioli. That is good management. Bring on fresh legs with a point to prove and watch them punish a tired defence.
Venezia tried to respond. They made changes of their own, bringing on Thierry Correia and Juan Jesus in the 69th minute. But by then the game had already shifted. Fiorentina were compact, organised, and content to let Venezia have the ball in areas that did not hurt them.
Mastantuono completed his hat-trick in the 84th minute with a header, assisted by Cher Ndour. That made it 4-1. Antoine Hainaut pulled one back for Venezia in the 86th minute with a right-foot shot, assisted by Ridgeciano Haps, to give the scoreline a fraction more respectability. It ended 2-4 to the away side. A comfortable win for Fiorentina in the end, whatever the final two minutes suggested.
The Basics Let Venezia Down
Look at the numbers honestly. Venezia had 10 shots on target. Fiorentina had three. And yet Fiorentina scored four. Venezia's goalkeeper made six saves. Fiorentina's made one. That conversion rate from Fiorentina is ruthless. That failure to convert from Venezia is unacceptable.
Fiorentina created six big chances and missed four of them. Venezia created two big chances and missed one. The difference between the sides was not desire or effort. Venezia competed. They put in 13 tackles, won 37 duels, and kept trying to the final whistle. The difference was execution and mentality at the key moments.
Listen, you cannot have 63 per cent of the ball, put in 21 crosses, and score two goals in a home game. That is not good enough. The basics of turning possession into genuine threat were not there consistently enough. And when Fiorentina saw their chances, they took them. That is the standard Venezia need to reach.
Mastantuono Was Simply Outstanding
The thing is, when you talk about this match in a week's time, you will talk about one name. Franco Mastantuono scored three goals in this game. Two with his left foot in consecutive first-half minutes and a header deep in the second half. Three different types of finish. That is a complete forward performance.
He was taken off in the 89th minute, replaced by Marco Brescianini, with the job well and truly done. His numbers speak for themselves. Three goals, different assists in each goal, and a performance that gave Fiorentina the platform to win away from home with relative comfort.
Fiorentina also showed solidity when it mattered. They made 14 interceptions to Venezia's seven. They tackled better. When Venezia came at them, Fiorentina's defensive structure held firm for the most part. Conceding twice is not ideal, but the manner of the win tells you they were in control.
Venezia's Form Makes Grim Reading
Across their three completed Serie A matches before this fixture, Venezia had lost all three. They conceded seven goals and scored two. This result continues that run. Three losses from three, now four from four, and the goals against column is growing at an alarming rate.
The accountability has to sit somewhere. Venezia had the chances to compete in this game but they could not protect their lead when they had it and they could not keep Fiorentina out when it mattered. That is a mentality problem as much as a tactical one. You cannot give up two goals in two first-half minutes and expect to recover against a team with Fiorentina's quality.
Fiorentina's own form coming in was inconsistent, with three losses in their previous five Serie A matches. But on this showing, with Mastantuono in this kind of form, they are a very different proposition. End of.