Fiorentina faced a surprising setback at home, suffering their first Serie A defeat in 19 matches as Udinese came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory. The match, held at Stadio Artemio Franchi, saw Fiorentina initially take the lead through Moise Kean’s penalty just eight minutes into the game. This marked a significant moment for Kean, as he became the first Fiorentina player to reach ten league goals since the 2019-20 season.
However, the tide turned dramatically after halftime. Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca capitalized on a defensive error by Fiorentina to equalize just four minutes into the second half. A misjudged clearance from Luca Ranieri inadvertently set up Lucca, who scored without opposition. The situation worsened for Fiorentina when Florian Thauvin, cutting in from the right, curled in a stunning shot from the edge of the area to give Udinese the lead in the 57th minute.
Despite several attempts to regain control, including efforts from Andrea Colpani and Riccardo Sottil that were either blocked or saved, Fiorentina struggled to find an equalizer. They came close when a long-range effort from Danilo Cataldi deflected off a defender and hit the post, and later when Jonathan Ikone’s shot was cleared off the line by Udinese goalkeeper Marco Sava.
The defeat ended Fiorentina’s eight-game winning streak in Serie A and left them in fifth place in the standings. Meanwhile, Udinese climbed to ninth, celebrating a vital win that showcased their resilience despite missing several key players due to injury. The match was particularly emotional for Edoardo Bove, who made his return to the Stadio Franchi after a medical emergency earlier in December.
Goals: Kean pen 8 (F), Lucca 49 (U), Thauvin 57 (U)
Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Kayode, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens (86′ Parisi); Adli (61′ Mandragora), Cataldi; Colpani (70′ Kouamé), Beltran (61′ Gudmundsson), Sottil (70′ Ikoné); Kean
Udinese (3-5-2): Sava; Kristensen, Kabasele, Touré (46′ Abankwah); Ehizibue (86′ Iker Bravo), Lovric, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp (66′ Atta), Zemura; Thauvin (86′ Rui Modesto), Lucca.
