Fiorentina's Slump Continues as Monza Secure Surprise 2-1 Victory

AC Monza secured a stunning 2-1 win over ACF Fiorentina, ending their five-match losing streak and boosting their survival hopes in Serie A.

In a stunning turn of events, AC Monza secured their first home win of the season, defeating ACF Fiorentina 2-1 at Stadio Brianteo. This victory marked a significant upset, as Monza sits at the bottom of the division, while Fiorentina was expected to capitalize on the opportunity to regain their form. Instead, Fiorentina's winless streak extended to six matches in all competitions under former Monza manager Raffaele Palladino.

Fiorentina's struggles were evident from the start, as they squandered early chances through Albert Gudmundsson and Riccardo Sottil. The visitors were then awarded a penalty in the 17th minute when Pablo Mari fouled Sottil inside the area, but the decision was overturned by VAR. Fiorentina's goalkeeper, David de Gea, was largely untested in the first quarter of the match, but he was forced to make a spectacular save midway through the half to deny Warren Bondo's powerful long-range strike.

The first half seemed destined to end without a shot on target, but Monza struck in the 44th minute to take the lead. Pedro Pereira's cutback was partially cleared, and Patrick Ciurria seized the opportunity to steer the ball past de Gea and give I Biancorossi a surprising advantage. This goal marked a significant turning point in the match, as Monza went on to secure a memorable 2-1 victory over their more fancied opponents.

Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino made a tactical switch at halftime, introducing Lucas Beltran into the fray. The substitution nearly paid off just nine minutes into the second half, as Beltran's effort was cleared off the line by Andrea Carboni following a Dodo cross that was fumbled by Monza goalkeeper Stefano Turati. This close call seemed to amplify the frustrations of the Tuscan side, who were struggling to find a breakthrough.

As the match wore on, Fiorentina's anxieties intensified, with Robin Gosens sending a shot marginally over the crossbar. However, their evening took a turn for the worse just after the hour mark, when Pedro Pereira's cross was expertly volleyed home by Daniel Maldini, doubling Monza's advantage. This goal seemed to seal the fate of Fiorentina, who were unable to recover from the setback.

In the final 20 minutes, Fiorentina managed to halve the deficit, courtesy of a penalty converted by Lucas Beltran. Beltran had been fouled by Andrea Carboni, and he stepped up to take the spot-kick, which he successfully converted despite Monza goalkeeper Stefano Turati getting a glove to the ball. However, it was too little, too late for Fiorentina, as Christian Kouame's late chance trickled wide, confirming the 2-1 defeat. This loss marked the end of Fiorentina's seven-match winning streak against teams sitting at the bottom of the table.

The 2-1 victory was a welcome relief for Monza, who ended a five-match league losing run. Notably, all five of those defeats had ended with the same 2-1 scoreline, making this win a hard-fought and satisfying triumph for I Biancorossi.