Serie A: Fiorentina Suffer Shock Home Defeat to Udinese

Udinese produced a stunning comeback to defeat Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, inflicting a shock home defeat on the hosts.

Fiorentina's impressive 19-match unbeaten run at home in Serie A came to an abrupt end as they suffered a shocking defeat to Udinese. The Viola had taken the lead, but their advantage was short-lived as Lorenzo Lucca and Florian Thauvin capitalized on crucial errors to secure a stunning victory for the visitors.

Fiorentina's recent form had been inconsistent, with their eight-match winning streak in Serie A halted by a 1-0 loss to Bologna. However, they had bounced back with a 1-1 draw against Vitoria Guimaraes in the Conference League, securing their spot in the Round of 16. The match against Udinese was also notable for the emotional return of Edoardo Bove to the Stadio Franchi, where he had suffered a medical emergency on December 1. Although Dodo was suspended and Marin Pongracic was injured, Bove's presence on the bench added a poignant touch to the occasion.

Udinese, meanwhile, were dealing with a lengthy absentee list, which included Jaka Bijol, Brenner, Keinan Davis, Maduka Okoye, Martin Payero, Lautaro Giannetti, Oier Zarraga, and Gerard Deulofeu. Despite these setbacks, the Friulani demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination, taking advantage of Fiorentina's mistakes to claim a memorable victory.

Riccardo Sottil, who had overcome a bout of tonsillitis to start the match, was initially infuriated when he was booked for simulation after going down in the penalty area. However, his frustration was short-lived, as a VAR On-Field Review revealed Thomas Kristensen's clumsy tackle, prompting the referee to award Fiorentina a penalty. Moise Kean duly converted from the spot, handing the hosts the lead.

The first half saw both teams create scoring opportunities, with Andrea Colpani and Sottil having their efforts blocked or parried by the Udinese defense. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Lucca squandered a chance for the visitors, steering his header off target. Despite these near-misses, Fiorentina's advantage remained intact until the dawn of the second half, when a moment of calamity allowed Udinese to level the score.

Fiorentina's equalizer was a gift, courtesy of Luca Ranieri's misjudged attempt to clear the ball. Instead of avoiding the corner, Ranieri's floated pass inadvertently hit Florian Thauvin on the chest, and the Frenchman's pull-back found Lorenzo Lucca, who scored with ease, leaving the Fiorentina defense stunned and the match poised at 1-1.

In a stunning turn of events, Udinese, who had switched to a three-man defense in the second half, nearly took the lead shortly after scoring the equalizer. A corner kick found its way to Lorenzo Lucca, who expertly flicked the ball up and unleashed a breathtaking bicycle kick that thundered against the base of the near post, leaving the Fiorentina defense breathless.

As the match intensified, Fiorentina's Andrea Colpani squandered a promising opportunity when he failed to control a pass from Moise Kean, allowing Udinese's Ekkelenkamp to block his eventual shot. However, Udinese soon capitalized on their momentum, as Florian Thauvin showcased his individual brilliance by cutting inside Robin Gosens on the right flank and curling a magnificent left-footed finish into the far bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Fiorentina's Moise Kean had a gilt-edged chance to equalize when he was picked out by Colpani, but his right-footed finish from the edge of the box agonizingly clipped the outside of the post. Udinese's Thauvin then thought he had scored his second goal of the match with an acrobatic volley, but Luca Ranieri produced a remarkable point-blank block to deny him.

Christian Kouame nearly gave Fiorentina the lead when he expertly flicked a long ball from Rolando Mandragora beyond the Udinese goalkeeper Sava. However, Moise Kean's eagerness to score the tap-in nearly resulted in a collision with the goalpost instead.

Fiorentina's frustration continued as they struck the frame of the goal once again. Danilo Cataldi's long-range effort took a double deflection, causing Sava to flail at the ball, which ultimately rebounded off the upright. Despite this near-miss, Sava redeemed himself with a crucial save, diving down to palm a Jonathan Ikone effort off the line. Meanwhile, Udinese's David De Gea demonstrated his goalkeeping prowess by taking the sting out of a Sandi Lovric free kick.