Cristian Chivu is ‘very happy’ for Petar Sucic and Yann Bisseck after Inter beat Fiorentina 3-0, hailing their ‘patience’ and ability to ‘overcome difficult moments.’

The Nerazzurri were feeling the pressure after their tense 3-1 defeat to Napoli over the weekend, complete with the controversy over VAR and refereeing decisions.

It took them a while to break down troubled Fiorentina at San Siro this evening, mainly thanks to the heroics of David De Gea, but Hakan Calhanoglu finally drilled in from distance.

That was followed soon after by a show of Sucic individual skill, then Calhanoglu converted a late penalty that saw Mattia Viti sent off.

Chivu impressed with Inter attitude

“A team like Inter has to overcome difficult moments and then carry on the dream, the objective, the target,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was not easy at all today, as Fiorentina are very organised, they chose to sit deep and try to hit us on the counter-attack. We had a few problems in the final third with the wrong choices in the first half, but we added something in the determination and effectiveness after the break.

“We broke the deadlock with a shot from distance, which we had not tried at all in the first half, and that made it much easier. We needed patience today, to understand what the opponents were trying to do, and find a way around. The second half was a different match, we found more spaces.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Inter 3-0 Fiorentina

Sucic was given a rare start after the Henrikh Mkhitaryan injury and took full advantage, scoring a wonderful solo goal when he slalomed through defenders. Chivu had a big celebration on the touchline at that moment for 2-0, seeing the Croatian’s first Serie A goal.

“I don’t think my celebration was particularly wild,” insisted Chivu.

“I am happy, because he is a complete midfielder who can play in various different roles, has quality, an engine too as he covers a lot of ground. He showed great sharpness with the finishing today, we were all happy for him, because he’s been working really hard and giving such support to the team.”

Francesco Pio Esposito is a very different type of strike partner for Lautaro Martinez, stepping up after the Marcus Thuram injury dragged on more than expected.

“It is right to reward youth with playing time, but we must be careful how we do it. We are fortunate to have a squad packed with experience, who can set the example for younger players, and force them to raise their level in training too.”

Bisseck was moved to the centre of a three-man defence over the last couple of games between Serie A and the Champions League, and admitted it was a different type of role for him, trying to use his pace.

“I am happy with Yann’s performance. The way I see football, he is a player who could be in the centre. We tried that in Belgium and again this evening, as we saw the dangers of a player like Moise Kean and how much he could cause issues, so Yann’s characteristics were suited to that,” explained Chivu.

“When we were leading 2-0, he came over to drink water, and I said if in doubt, let him run after a long ball rather than try to anticipate. My staff and I want a high line, but the defenders must also understand the moments when it is good to risk, or try to anticipate.

“If in doubt, let them run and chase rather than try to anticipate and get left behind. When I was a player, I wasn’t as fast as Bisseck, but I did learn some little secrets that I can pass on to my defenders,” smiled the Champions League winner.

Stefano Pioli admits Fiorentina ‘clearly have some problems’ after the 3-0 defeat to Inter, but assures he is ‘not thinking about my future’ in the job.

The Viola are still without a single Serie A victory so far this season, having scraped four draws in nine rounds.

David De Gea kept them in the game at San Siro with some big saves, but ultimately had to surrender to a Hakan Calhanoglu daisy-cutter, then Petar Sucic danced through the defence to double the lead.

Late on, Mattia Viti received a second yellow card for bringing down Ange-Yoan Bonny, allowing Calhanoglu to complete his brace from the penalty spot.

Pioli cannot hide from Fiorentina results

“We were unable to do more. Inter raised the tempo after the restart and we struggled to keep the ball,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

“Clearly, we were up against a very strong opponent, we could’ve done better on the first goal, and after that it all became more difficult.”

Fiorentina have won all three matches in the Conference League, but are stranded at the foot of the Serie A table without a win. Is Pioli worried about his position on the bench?

“I am not thinking about my future, I am thinking about our position in the table, and the games against Lecce and Genoa will be very important. We want our first victory of the season in Serie A.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Inter 3-0 Fiorentina

Robin Gosens went off with a muscular injury, adding to the problems that the Viola are dealing with.

“We know how much Inter push down the flanks and therefore can leave gaps we could make the most of, but they pressed throughout, and we didn’t find those spaces enough. When you are up against opponents of such quality, you will run risks.

“Our intention was to be solid and not allow spaces, I think we did it well in the first half, but we lost our way when they raised the tempo after the break. They took the initiative then and we were unable to close the gaps,” explained Pioli.

It was put to the coach by Paolo Di Canio that Fiorentina were not particularly creative, nor aggressive, so they were in no man’s land.

“I trust my players. I chose a more solid midfield because I knew it would be a more physical game today, as Inter would press high. I don’t believe it is true that we weren’t aggressive or physical today, we just didn’t have the necessary reaction after going behind and when Inter raised the intensity level,” replied Pioli.

If we didn’t win any of our Serie A games in the first nine rounds, then clearly we have some problems. We’re trying to solve them, it is not an excuse, but our fixture list so far has been very tough.

“Now we must prove that we are superior to the teams in the bottom half of the table and that we belong higher up.”

Hakan Calhanoglu is Football Italia’s MOTM in Inter’s 3-0 win over Fiorentina.

Inter vs. Fiorentina player ratings

Inter: Sommer 6; Akanji 6.5, Bisseck 6.5, Bastoni 7; Dumfries 6 (77′ Carlos Augusto N/A), Barella 7, Calhanoglu 8, Sucic 7.5, Dimarco 6.5; Lautaro Martinez 6.5, Pio Esposito 6 (77′ Bonny 6.5). Coach: Chivu 7.

Best Inter player: Calhanoglu 8 – Broke the deadlock with a shot from distance after some unreal saves from David De Gea. Converted a spot kick to make it three for the Nerazzurri. But his performance went beyond the goals: three key passes, 85% accurate passes in the opposition half (via Sofascore) and seven duels won. An all-round performance.

Lowest Inter rating: Pio Esposito 6 – No Inter player was actually below par. Esposito fought hard and would have deserved to be awarded a penalty kick in the second half. It’s the lowest Inter rating, but still a good performance.

Inter coach: Chivu 7 – The second-half performance was enough to claim all three points. The Nerazzurri were ruthless in every corner of the pitch after the break and continued to attack even after scoring the opener through Calhanoglu.

Fiorentina: De Gea 7.5; Comuzzo 5, Marì 6, Viti 5; Dodò 5.5, Sohm 6 (63′ Fagioli 5.5), Mandragora 5.5 (76′ Dzeko N/A), Ndour 5.5, Gosens 6 (78′ Fortini N/A); Gudmundsson 5.5 (63′ Fazzini 5), Kean 5. Coach: Pioli 4.5.

Best Fiorentina player: De Gea 7.5 – Four key saves which kept Fiorentina in the game until Calhanoglu opened the scoring from the edge of the box. The best one was probably the one with which he denied Bisseck in the second half.

Lowest Fiorentina ratings: Comuzzo, Viti and Fazzini 5 – The defence was shaking, to say the least. Comuzzo took a few too many risks inside the box and was lucky not to cause any penalty. Viti did it instead and even received a second yellow card. Fazzini was soft in every tackle.

Fiorentina coach: Pioli 4.5 – Fiorentina are still winless in the opening nine games. It was already meant to be a tough game, and Pioli’s substitution didn’t really help matters.

It took two moments of individual brilliance from Hakan Calhanoglu and Petar Sucic for Inter to finally break Fiorentina after David De Gea heroics.

The Nerazzurri were still feeling the tension of their controversial 3-1 defeat to Napoli, also as Henrikh Mkhitaryan was ruled out for a month by an injury sustained in that match, which ended their run of seven straight victories in all competition. Marcus Thuram and Matteo Darmian were also still out, so Petar Sucic and Francesco Pio Esposito stepped in. The Viola didn’t have a single Serie A win this season, but fought back from 2-0 down to grab a point against Bologna at the weekend, with Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame long-term absentees.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The hosts came out fighting, Rolando Mandragora throwing himself in the path of a Sucic strike.

Alessandro Bastoni intercepted a pass out from the back and surged into the penalty area, but David De Gea stood his ground to deny the Inter defender one-on-one.

The Fiorentina goalkeeper made an extraordinary reaction save using his foot when Federico Dimarco was allowed to meet the Bastoni cross totally unmarked from 12 yards through the centre.

After the restart, Denzel Dumfries shrugged off Mattia Viti only to see his shot blocked by a desperate Robin Gosens lunge. As the move continued, Fiorentina risked an own goal with a double ricochet, but it fell kindly for De Gea.

Dimarco also saw his angled drive flash inches wide with a deflection after Pablo Mari tackled Lautaro Martinez in the penalty area.

On the resulting corner, Pietro Comuzzo and Pio Esposito got into a tangle with the Fiorentina defender’s arm across his neck, but Inter penalty appeals were rejected by VAR.

The Nerazzurri were pouring forward and running into the De Gea brick wall, as the veteran goalkeeper used his body to parry the Dumfries volley at the back post, then on the corner flew to fingertip the Yann Bisseck strike out from under the bar.

Inter finally found a way through when Calhanoglu gathered outside the area, took a touch to cut inside Jacopo Fazzini, and drilled into the far bottom corner with the right boot.

Sucic doubled their lead with a sensational bit of skill, as he combined with Lautaro Martinez to then dribble into the area, slalom between four defenders, and sweep in with the inside of the right boot.

Bisseck tracked back for a decisive sliding tackle on the Kean counter-attack, but things went from bad to worse for Fiorentina, who lost Robin Gosens to a muscular problem.

Another Kean counter saw him scuff the weak finish into the arms of Sommer, but Mattia Viti lunged into a mistimed tackle on Ange-Yoan Bonny and was already on a yellow card, so Fiorentina went down to 10 men and Calhanoglu converted the penalty.

Inter 3-0 Fiorentina

Calhanoglu 66, pen 88 (I), Sucic 71 (I)

Sent off: Viti 86 (F)

29-10-2025 19:45

MatchDay 9

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Fiorentina

3 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

		49'		Mattia Viti
Pio Esposito		65'
Hakan Calhanoglu (Assist: Nicolò Barella)		66'
Petar Sucic (Assist: Lautaro Martínez)		71'
		86'		Mattia Viti
Hakan Calhanoglu		88'

Match statistic

64

Possession %

36

22

Total shots

10

8

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

3

8

Blocked shots

5

8

Corners

5

0

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

16

Inter

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

77'

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

85'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

77'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

89'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

76'

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

63'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

63'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

40

Alessandro Calligaris

Goalkeeper

51

Christos Alexiou

Defender

60

Alain Taho

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

48

Mattia Mosconi

Attacker

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

77'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

77'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

85'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

89'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

89'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

63'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

63'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

76'

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

78'

Inter try to get back on track against a Fiorentina side in crisis, as Lautaro Martinez and Francesco Pio Esposito take on Moise Kean and Albert Gudmundsson.

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s six Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri had won seven competitive fixtures on the bounce until their ill-tempered 3-1 defeat to Napoli, with the reverberations still felt from a controversial penalty call.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan sustained an injury during that incident and will be out for a month, while Marcus Thuram and Matteo Darmian are also still sidelined.

That means Petar Sucic steps into the starting XI with Pio Esposito preferred to Ange-Yoan Bonny as partner for Lautaro Martinez.

Fiorentina are in crisis, as they are still without a single Serie A victory this season, scraping four draws and four defeats.

They did at least show a reaction at the weekend, fighting back from 2-0 down to snatch a point in stoppages with two penalties.

Kean and Gudmundsson again lead the attack, with ex-Inter winger Robin Gosens in support.

Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame are long-term absentees with knee ligament injuries.

Inter vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Inter: Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Pio Esposito

Fiorentina: De Gea; Comuzzo, Marì, Viti; Dodò, Sohm, Mandragora, Ndour, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean

29-10-2025 19:45

MatchDay 9

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Fiorentina

3 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

		49'		Mattia Viti
Pio Esposito		65'
Hakan Calhanoglu (Assist: Nicolò Barella)		66'
Petar Sucic (Assist: Lautaro Martínez)		71'
		86'		Mattia Viti
Hakan Calhanoglu		88'

Match statistic

64

Possession %

36

22

Total shots

10

8

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

3

8

Blocked shots

5

8

Corners

5

0

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

16

Inter

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

77'

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

85'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

77'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

89'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

76'

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

63'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

63'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

40

Alessandro Calligaris

Goalkeeper

51

Christos Alexiou

Defender

60

Alain Taho

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

48

Mattia Mosconi

Attacker

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

77'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

77'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

85'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

89'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

89'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

63'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

63'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

76'

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

78'

Francesco Pio Esposito and Lautaro Martinez are expected to lead the Inter attack against a Fiorentina side that are still looking for their first win in Serie A this season.

It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at the Stadio Meazza in San Siro, Milan.

It’s a mid-week Serie A round that kicked off on Tuesday with Napoli’s 1-0 win over Lecce and Milan’s 1-1 draw against Atalanta.

The Nerazzurri are without the injured Marcus Thuram, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Raffaele Di Gennaro and Matteo Darmian. Second-choice keeper Josep Martinez is also unavailable following a car accident in which he was involved on the eve of the game and which caused the death of an elderly man.

The whole was affected by the tragic news, and coach Cristian Chivu cancelled his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

On the pitch, Chivu is expected to confirm Manuel Akanji, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni at the back, according to Gazzetta, while Pio Esposito will partner with Lautaro Martinez in attack.

Petar Sucic is expected to replace the injured Mkhitaryan in central midfield.

Fiorentina, on the other hand, are expected to rely on Albert Gudmundsson and Moise Kean in attack, while Pietro Comuzzo or Pablo Mari will join Marin Pongracic and Luca Ranieri at the back.

Inter vs. Fiorentina – where to watch on TV

The game is available to stream live on DAZN in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA.

Inter vs. Fiorentina – probable line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Carlos Augusto; Esposito, Lautaro Martinez.

Fiorentina: (3-5-2): De Gea; Pongracic, Pablo Marì, Ranieri; Dodo, Mandragora, Nicolussi Caviglia, Sohm, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean.

David De Gea called for calm and unity after Fiorentina’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Bologna at the Stadio Franchi, insisting the Viola must stay mentally strong to overcome their current difficulties.

Despite fighting back from 2-0 down thanks to two late penalties, the mood around the club remains tense, with Stefano Pioli’s side still struggling for consistency in Serie A.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, via TuttoMercatoWeb, De Gea backed the message of goalscorer Moise Kean, who had urged the squad to believe in themselves. “As Moise said, we have to believe,” the Spanish goalkeeper stressed.

“It’s difficult when the victories don’t arrive, but we must stay positive. Even if we didn’t play a great game and we are in a difficult moment, we still came back in a tough match. We need to work hard and go in the same direction for the good of Fiorentina.”

De Gea: ‘We could have lost 6-0…’

The former Manchester United keeper also highlighted the difference in level between domestic and European competition. “The Conference League is different,” he noted.

“The opponents we’ve faced there are of a lower level compared to Serie A. Here it’s not easy, but if we keep working and focus on each match, we can do better.”

De Gea admitted that the atmosphere inside the stadium briefly shook the team after Bologna’s disallowed third goal. “In that moment, I thought we could lose 6-0,” he confessed.

“But then we gained confidence and almost won the match. We must do more and stay positive, for the fans too. We all need to be united and move in the same direction.”

Stefano Pioli believes Fiorentina showed character in their dramatic 2-2 draw with Bologna, fighting back from 2-0 down thanks to late penalties from Guðmundsson and Moise Kean.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Viola coach admitted his side still have plenty to fix, but praised the team’s refusal to collapse.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose, but certain episodes were punishing us too harshly,” Pioli said.

“We didn’t develop our play well in the first half, but with Bologna that can happen. We had chances with Ranieri and Moise, and the important thing is that the team didn’t give up.”

Pioli accepts protests after Fiorentina 2-2 Bologna

The coach also accepted the criticism that arrived from the Curva Fiesole. “The fans have always supported us and they have the right to protest if they feel it is necessary. They always have the final say,” he noted.

Looking at the tactical issues, Pioli admitted Fiorentina must find better balance in midfield. “Bologna don’t let you play comfortably, and in some positions Fagioli needed to be found more. We must improve our structure and find better equilibrium,” he said.

On refereeing and VAR, Pioli was blunt: “Right now everything is confused. You can’t understand who is truly making the decisions. For me, the referee must decide more and the VAR less.”

The coach underlined that the table remains disappointing, but insisted the team will continue to work. “We are not satisfied, but we go forward trying to grow,” he concluded.

Moise Kean urged Fiorentina to show greater character and take responsibility for their season after the Viola battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Bologna at the Stadio Franchi.

Two second-half penalties, including Kean’s equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time, snatched a point and prevented a damaging home defeat.

Speaking to DAZN after the game, the striker was clear about what must change: “Only we can turn our season around – it’s up to us to show some balls and step up,” he said, with quotes via FiorentinaNews, insisting the team must raise their mentality if they want different results.

Kean calm in equalising goal for Fiorentina against Bologna

Kean also explained that he felt calm when stepping up for the decisive penalty: “I didn’t feel any pressure. My teammates believed in me and I just tried to stay positive,” he added.

Looking ahead, the forward stressed that Fiorentina owe more to the city and their supporters: “Fiorentina deserves a lot, and so do my teammates. We’re a good group and we can achieve great things. We need to stay positive ahead of Milan against Inter.”

Fiorentina leave the pitch with mixed emotions: proud of their comeback, but aware that dropped points at home continue to complicate their already shaky start to the campaign.

Fiorentina completed the comeback from 2-0 down to hold Bologna 2-2 in stoppages with Albert Gudmundsson and Moise Kean penalties, after Emil Holm was sent off.

Both teams were fresh from UEFA victories on Thursday, but while the Viola had a 3-0 win away to Rapid Vienna, they were still without a single success in Serie A. Moise Kean and Robin Gosens returned after being rested, with Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame long-term absentees. The Rossoblu lost Jens Odgaard to a knock during the 2-1 win at Steaua Bucharest, joining Ciro Immobile on the treatment table. Coach Vincenzo Italiano missed the trip back to the Stadio Franchi, as he was still undergoing treatment for pneumonia.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Kean drilled inches wide when clear on goal in the opening minutes, but had been caught offside to spare his blushes, while David De Gea fingertipped a looping Santiago Castro strike out from under the crossbar.

Bologna had penalty appeals rejected for a possible Dodo handball, as the footage did not clearly show contact, but they did take the lead.

A corner was not cleared properly and the Pablo Mari header floated into the path of Santiago Castro, who performed a spectacular volley into the far top corner from 12 yards. It was his first Serie A goal outside the Dall’Ara since January.

Fiorentina should’ve equalised moments later when Rolando Mandragora flicked on a corner to the back post, but Luca Ranieri shinned it over from point-blank range.

Nicolò Cambiaghi curled wide and Lukasz Skorupski palmed away a long-range Mandragora free kick.

There was chaos straight after the restart, as the referee awarded a Fiorentina penalty for handball, but it was Skorupski who got his hand to it rather than Jhon Lucumi, and Kean handled too during the two charged down attempts, so it was revoked following a VAR review.

Instead, Bologna doubled their lead when Emil Holm got down the right and pulled across the face of goal, with Cambiaghi getting there first to toe-poke in from six yards.

Kean stung Skorupski’s gloves after a run from midfield, but again the Rossoblu were more clinical and pounced when De Gea parried the Riccardo Orsolini free header at the back post, but could do nothing on the Thijs Dallinga follow-up. However, this goal was disallowed for Orsolini’s offside position.

Nonetheless, many Fiorentina fans started leaving the stadium in protest at their current Serie A form and chanting insults towards the club and squad.

The Viola finally did get their penalty, as after a Juan Miranda goal-line clearance on Edin Dzeko, Lewis Ferguson charged down the Dodo cross with his arm. Albert Gudmundsson rolled a precise snooker shot beyond Skorupski’s fingertips into the near bottom corner for his first Serie A goal of the season.

This suddenly changed the game and after Federico Bernardeschi had penalty appeals rejected for a coming together with Sabiri, Emil Holm received his second yellow card for bringing down Fortini.

The tension also got to Jonathan Rowe, who was substituted to bring on a defender and was booked after his exit for kicking the ball into the stands.

Kean’s acrobatic scissor-kick volley on a Dodo cross was charged down by Bernardeschi’s arms in front of his face, but considered to be in an unnatural position following a VAR review. Kean insisted on stepping up this time and sent Skorupski the wrong way to equalise in stoppages.

A scuffle broke out between Dzeko and Lucumi, then Fiorentina thought they had to win it with the last kick of the game when Skorupski only palmed a Roberto Piccoli header into the path of Dodo, but the Brazilian prodded the rebound onto the side-netting.

Fiorentina 2-2 Bologna

Castro 25 (B), Cambiaghi 52 (B), Gudmundsson pen 74 (F), Kean pen 94 (F)

Sent off: Holm 83 (B)

26-10-2025 17:00

MatchDay 8

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Bologna

2 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Santiago Castro
Robin Gosens		36'
		39'		Remo Freuler

2nd half

		52'		Nicolò Cambiaghi (Assist: Emil Holm)
Albert Gudmundsson		58'
		71'		Emil Holm
Albert Gudmundsson		73'
		83'		Emil Holm
Moise Kean		90+4'
Edin Dzeko		90+6'
		90+6'		Jhon Lucumí

Match statistic

51

Possession %

49

19

Total shots

6

7

Shots on target

3

7

Shots off target

2

5

Blocked shots

1

5

Corners

6

5

Offsides

3

13

Fouls

20

Fiorentina

Bologna

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

85'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

64'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

54'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

53'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

54'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

2

Emil Holm

Defender

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

77'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

64'

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

77'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

64'

Substitutes

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

53'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

54'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

54'

11

Abdelhamid Sabiri

Attacker

64'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

85'

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

29

Lorenzo De Silvestri

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

64'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

77'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

77'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

86'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Call to the top 

Napoli: 3-1 and first place, Inter furious 

Debatable penalty from De Bruyne (who gets hrt while scoring the goal for 1-0). Marotta: ‘We’re angry, it changed the game’. Conte: ‘Stop acting like the pope’. Arguments and insults with Lautaro. Goals from McTominay and Anguissa, Calhanoglu’s penalty unhelpful

Juve

Tudor: ‘Not afraid’. David with Vlahovic, Yildiz on the bench, but he is about to sign 

Roma 

Dybala attack, they need goals to take the lead

Corriere dello Sport 

Napoli cackle 

Conte silences Inter and Marotta

What a lesson: 3-1

The champions return to first place: Gasp’s Roma could draw level today

De Bruyne, McTominay and Anguissa decide the clash. Calhanoglu’s goal at 2-1 no good. The President: ‘Their victory came from a soft penalty’. Antonio: ‘Those are excuses, I wouldn’t have let one of my directors complain like that’. Sparks also fly with Lautaro at the end

Tudor wall: ‘Sacked? I’m not afraid’

Lazio-Juve at 19.45: Igor hasn’t won in seven games 

The Croatian: ‘Yildiz being like Del Piero? Comparisons are tricky’. Sarri: ‘We might have different ideas to Lotito, but our relationship is normal’

Kean and Castro, Derby call 

Fiorentina-Bologna at the Franchi 

The viola have lost three in three at home in the league. The Argentine could push Italiano to -2 from Napoli

Tuttosport

‘I’m not afraid’ 

Tudor against his Old Lazio. Needs to find goals and wins again. ‘I’m not afraid of the sack. And I want a more attacking Juve’

The coach protects his team: ‘I’m only thinking about the players, not about myself’, and tries to take the pressure off Yildiz: ‘Like Del Piero? Calm down’. Tempted to play the Turk with Conceicao behind Vlahovic and David. Zhegrova case. Perin in goal? 

Conte rises Napoli, Inter and Lautaro on a tilt 

Penalties, woodwork, battles, injuries, scuffles: The 3-1 at the MAradona had it all 

‘Go on Toro! Ride the wave of enthusiasm’ 

Against Genoa at 11.30, in a full stadium

Baroni: ‘The hug with the supporters was great, we can’t take anything for granted now’ Cholito looking for his third consecutive goal. Israel out, there’s Paleari

Gasp to Dybala: ‘Words weren’t right, score goals and assist, you’ 

Paulo critical after the Euro-flop 

Italy ranks 8th in the UEFA Coefficient ranking after the latest round of European matches, but it has slightly closed the gap with the second spot.

Serie A clubs collected just three victories in the latest round of European games.

Serie A clubs’ results in European competitions

Inter were the only Italian side to collect all three points in the Champions League, while Bologna won their first Europa League game this term and Fiorentina beat Rapid Wien 3-0 away in the Conference League.

Juventus and Napoli lost their Champions League games against Real Madrid and PSV, respectively, and Roma suffered their second consecutive Europa League defeat, capitulating at the Olimpico against Viktoria Plzen.

Atalanta were the only Serie A club to collect a draw as they were held to a goalless stalemate by Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

The latest results in Europe mean Italy have not moved from eighth position in the UEFA Coefficient ranking, but they are slightly closer to the second spot compared to the latest round of European games at the start of October.

Italy’s position has not changed, but two weeks ago, Serie A was 847 points below the second spot occupied by England, while now it is 743 points behind Portugal, who have been overtaken by England at the top of the table.

Only the first two spots grant an extra Champions League placement for the following season, an accomplishment that Italy fulfilled in the 2023-24 campaign.

Update UEFA Coefficient ranking – October 24, 2025

England (9/9) – 8.166

Portugal (4/5) – 7.600

Poland (4/4) – 7.375

Germany (7/7) – 7.285

Spain (8/8) – 7.250

Cyprus (3/4) – 7.250

Denmark (2/4) – 7.125

Italy (7/7) – 6.857

France (7/7) – 6.071

Netherlands (6/6) – 5.750

Fiorentina might be struggling in Serie A, but they are top of the Conference League with a perfect record after the first two match days.

The Viola are still without a single victory domestically, managing only three draws in the opening seven rounds of the Serie A season.

However, they confirmed their excellent Conference League record, having reached the Final two years on the bounce, then stopping at the semi-final last term.

Stefano Pioli’s side beat Sigma Olomouc 2-0 and then picked up a 3-0 win away to Rapid Vienna this evening.

There are several teams with a 100 per cent record still, namely AEK Larnaca, Celje, Lausanne-Sport, Samsunspor and Mainz.

Fiorentina are out on top because they have a goal difference of +5, the same as Larnaca, but with three away goals scored compared to just one.

The top eight teams go straight into the Round of 16, while those from ninth place to 24^th enter the play-offs.

Sides from 25^th to 36^th position at the end of the league phase are eliminated from European competition.

Conference League standings after Matchday 3

Stefano Pioli believes Fiorentina made real progress beating Rapid Vienna 3-0 in the Conference League, but warns Edin Dzeko they ‘cannot afford to field three attacking players’ right now.

A booster was very much needed for the Viola, who were in crisis after just three draws in the opening seven Serie A rounds of the season.

They received it on a rainy and windy night in Vienna, as Cher Ndour was ready on the rebound from a goalkeeping error, then Dzeko doubled their lead after the restart.

David De Gea made one great fingertip save, before Albert Gudmundsson completed the 3-0 rout late on.

Pioli coaxing Fiorentina out of crisis

“You can only emerge from moments like this one step at a time, concentrating on one particular situation rather than all of them together,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

“We wanted to be determined with an aggressive press, winning the individual duels. There was a good response today, and we had the right approach to this match. Hopefully in the next game we’ll have improvements in other situations.”

The midfield seems to be the core of Fiorentina’s success and failure, with Nicolò Fagioli and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia pulling the strings in Vienna.

“There is always someone who starts out ahead of the others in the mind of a coach, but then that can change based on performances in training and matches.”

Dzeko confirmed his clinical nature in Europe, but is getting very little playing time in Serie A and wants more room.

“We are still seeking the right tactical balance with a lot of new players, and at this moment we cannot afford to field three attacking players at the same time,” replied Pioli.

“A lot depends on the current form of the rest of the team. Dzeko needs to make sure he is ready when called upon, just as the other lads have done. The hierarchy within the squad can change and it depends exclusively on the form and performances of the players,” insisted Pioli.

This means Fiorentina have a 100 per cent record in the Conference League after two games, having also beaten Sigma Olomouc 2-0.

It is a very different situation in Serie A, where they are still without a win and sitting in the relegation zone.

“I understand the team needs to improve its mentality, that is my job and why I was called here by the club, to raise the level of ambition,” continued Pioli.

“My presence created a lot of expectations, and such a difficult start to the season probably intensified the pressure. Having said that, I feel like our performance against Milan on Sunday was positive, we only conceded when down to 10 men and on a non-existent penalty.

“If the results start coming in, we’ll be sharper, more positive, even more entertaining and confident. Instead, we did the bare minimum, and Milan took advantage of that.”

Fiorentina got back on their feet with a dominant Conference League performance away to Rapid Vienna, as Cher Ndour, Edin Dzeko and Albert Gudmundsson scored.

The Viola had a disastrous start to their Serie A season, scraping just three draws in seven rounds, but were doing better in Europe with a 2-0 victory over Sigma Olomouc. Moise Kean and Robin Gosens were rested, with Christian Kouame and Tariq Lamptey injured. Rapid Vienna were also on dire form, losing four competitive games in a row, with Claudy Mbuyi, Petter Nosa Dahl and Jakob Schöller out of action.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The visitors had a huge double opportunity after four minutes when Niklas Hedl fumbled a Hans Nicolussi Caviglia cross, as Rapid Vienna saved themselves with two Ange Ahoussou goal-line clearances on Edin Dzeko and the Mattia Viti follow-up.

It was only a warning, as Edin Dzeko saw his angled drive meekly flapped away by the goalkeeper into the path of Cher Ndour to open the scoring.

Roberto Piccoli should’ve made it 2-0 when he ran onto the inspired Nicolò Fagioli ball over the top, but fired wide with only the shot-stopper to beat.

Piccoli’s weak header was also saved and Kara scuffed a finish wide after Pablo Mari’s poor back pass, then Pablo Mari nodded a corner over.

Fiorentina did double their lead after the restart when Nicolò Fortini put in a cross from the right, Dzeko sweeping in on the bounce with the inside of the right boot from 10 yards.

David De Gea made a stunning save when flying to fingertip the Mathias Seidl scorcher onto the crossbar on 65 minutes.

Piccoli wasted another golden opportunity, but Fiorentina did add a third moments later when young substitute Kouadio laid it off inside the area for Albert Gudmundsson’s control and angled drive into the far bottom corner.

Rapid Vienna 0-3 Fiorentina

Ndour 9 (F), Dzeko 49 (F), Gudmundsson 88 (F)

23-10-2025 17:45

MatchDay 2

Allianz Stadion (Weststadion)

Rapid Wien

Fiorentina

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Cher Ndour
		30'		Pietro Comuzzo
Ercan Kara		35'

2nd half

		48'		Edin Dzeko (Assist: Niccolò Fortini)
Matthias Seidl		61'
		88'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Eddy Kouadio)

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

13

Total shots

17

3

Shots on target

7

6

Shots off target

5

4

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

5

Offsides

1

15

Fouls

14

Rapid Wien

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Niklas Hedl

Goalkeeper

20

Ange Ahoussou

Defender

61

Furkan Demir

Defender

38

Jannes Horn

Defender

6

Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao

Defender

29

Romeo Amane

Midfielder

75'

77

Bendegúz Bolla

Midfielder

62'

18

Matthias Seidl

Midfielder

85'

9

Ercan Kara

Attacker

85'

90

Janis Antiste

Attacker

15

Nikolaus Wurmbrand

Attacker

62'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

87'

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

57'

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

77'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

57'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

25

Paul Gartler

Goalkeeper

49

Andrija Radulovic

Attacker

7

Marco Tilio

Attacker

51

Benjamin Göschl

Goalkeeper

47

Amin-Elias Gröller

Defender

38

Jakob Brunnhofer

Defender

43

Moulaye Haïdara

Attacker

23

Jonas Auer

Midfielder

62'

17

Tobias Gulliksen

Attacker

62'

14

Martin Ndzie

Midfielder

75'

21

Louis Schaub

Midfielder

85'

41

Dominik Weixelbraun

Attacker

85'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

11

Abdelhamid Sabiri

Attacker

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

57'

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

57'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

77'

2

Dodô

Defender

77'

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

87'

Fiorentina director general Alessandro Ferrari reiterated the support for coach Stefano Pioli ahead of the Conference League clash with Rapid Vienna.

It kicks off at the Weststadion in Vienna at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Steaua Bucharest-Bologna and Roma-Viktoria Plzen on the Liveblog.

The Viola got off to a disastrous start in Serie A this season, scraping only three stalemates from the opening seven rounds of the tournament.

Their Conference League form has been better, getting off to a 2-0 victory over Sigma Olomouc after winning both preliminary round ties.

Fiorentina reject reports of tension

“The locker room is perhaps the area where we have the best form at the moment,” smiled Ferrari on Sky Sport Italia.

“We are very united, there are debates, trying to see how we can all do better and help each other out. This is a new adventure this season, we must stay united and try to turn these results around.”

President Rocco Commisso called in this afternoon and has publicly backed coach Pioli.

“I speak to the President more than once every day. He too believes Stefano Pioli is the man who can help the team improve, he took this role with great enthusiasm, and we are all very united on that too.”

Director of sport Daniele Pradè had taken on responsibility after the 2-1 defeat to AC Milan over the weekend, acknowledging he had been targeted by protests from the fans.

“Everyone is responsible, from the players to the directors and coach,” replied Ferrari.

“I think everyone knows we feel responsible, but the important thing now is to raise our heads, push forward, change course, and give something more, because what we’ve done so far is evidently not enough.”

Fiorentina released a statement yesterday complaining that the renovation project for the Stadio Artemio Franchi has been hit by further delays, meaning it probably won’t be finished until after the club’s centenary year.

“Unfortunately, Rocco wanted to build a new stadium and they wouldn’t let him. There was an escalation of situations at the limit, we are dialoguing with the new council, but anyone who looks at the Stadio Franchi can see that there are serious delays.”

Fiorentina in crisis hope to revitalise their fortunes in the Conference League against Rapid Vienna with Edin Dzeko and Roberto Piccoli.

It kicks off at the Weststadion in Vienna at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Steaua Bucharest-Bologna and Roma-Viktoria Plzen on the Liveblog.

It has been a truly abysmal start to the season for the Viola, who scraped only three draws in seven Serie A matches.

At least their Conference League got off on the right foot, beating Sigma Olomouc 2-0 at home in the opening round.

Moise Kean and Robin Gosens are rested, with Christian Kouame and Tariq Lamptey long-term absentees.

Dzeko and Piccoli form the partnership upfront, with support from Hans Nicolussi Caviglia and Cher Ndour.

Rapid Vienna are missing Claudy Mbuyi, Petter Nosa Dahl and Jakob Schöller, while Oliver Strunz, Tobias Borkeeiet, Jean Marcelin and Noah Bischof are not on the Europa League list.

The Austrians have been on dire form too lately, losing four in a row in all competition, which prompted them to sack their fitness coach and match analyst.

That run included being swept aside 4-1 by Lech Poznan in the opening Conference League tie.

A familiar face is Janis Antiste, on loan from Sassuolo.

These sides met in the Conference League play-offs in 2023, with Fiorentina winning 2-1 on aggregate.

SK Rapid Vienna vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Rapid Vienna: Hedl; Furkan Demir, Ahoussou, Raux-Yao, Horn; Bolla, Amane, Seidl, Antiste; Kara, Wurmbrand

Rapid Vienna bench: Gartler, Goschl, Tilio, Ndzie, Gulliksen, Schaub, Auer, Brunnhofer, Weixelbraun, Groller, Radulovic,

Fiorentina: De Gea; Comuzzo, Pablo Mari, Viti; Fortini, Ndour, Nicolussi Caviglia, Fagioli, Parisi; Dzeko, Piccoli

Fiorentina bench: Lezzerini, Martinelli, Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Sohm, Mandragora, Gudmundsson, Sabiri, Fazzini, Richardson, Kouadio

Ref: Frid (ISR)

23-10-2025 17:45

MatchDay 2

Allianz Stadion (Weststadion)

Rapid Wien

Fiorentina

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Cher Ndour
		30'		Pietro Comuzzo
Ercan Kara		35'

2nd half

		48'		Edin Dzeko (Assist: Niccolò Fortini)
Matthias Seidl		61'
		88'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Eddy Kouadio)

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

13

Total shots

17

3

Shots on target

7

6

Shots off target

5

4

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

5

Offsides

1

15

Fouls

14

Rapid Wien

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Niklas Hedl

Goalkeeper

20

Ange Ahoussou

Defender

61

Furkan Demir

Defender

38

Jannes Horn

Defender

6

Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao

Defender

29

Romeo Amane

Midfielder

75'

77

Bendegúz Bolla

Midfielder

62'

18

Matthias Seidl

Midfielder

85'

9

Ercan Kara

Attacker

85'

90

Janis Antiste

Attacker

15

Nikolaus Wurmbrand

Attacker

62'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

87'

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

57'

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

77'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

57'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

25

Paul Gartler

Goalkeeper

49

Andrija Radulovic

Attacker

7

Marco Tilio

Attacker

51

Benjamin Göschl

Goalkeeper

47

Amin-Elias Gröller

Defender

38

Jakob Brunnhofer

Defender

43

Moulaye Haïdara

Attacker

23

Jonas Auer

Midfielder

62'

17

Tobias Gulliksen

Attacker

62'

14

Martin Ndzie

Midfielder

75'

21

Louis Schaub

Midfielder

85'

41

Dominik Weixelbraun

Attacker

85'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

11

Abdelhamid Sabiri

Attacker

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

57'

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

57'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

77'

2

Dodô

Defender

77'

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

87'