Sohm’s opener isn’t enough for Fiorentina — Hollerbach and Lee come off the bench to inspire a stunning Mainz comeback in stoppage time.
Fiorentina’s struggles continued in Europe as they fell 2–1 away to Mainz, conceding twice in the second half and suffering their first defeat in this season’s UEFA Conference League. Interim boss Daniele Galloppa saw his side take an early lead through Sohm, only to collapse late as substitutes Hollerbach and Lee turned the match around.
The Viola started brightly and capitalized on a defensive error after 16 minutes, when Da Costa’s poor clearance gifted the ball to Sohm. The Swiss midfielder took full advantage, firing in a precise left-footed strike at the near post to make it 1–0. Fiorentina pushed for a second, but Piccoli missed a golden chance when one-on-one with Zentner, while Fazzini was denied by a miraculous goal-line clearance from Potulski.
Galloppa turned to Kean in the final half-hour, but it was Mainz’s substitutions that changed the game. Hollerbach leveled the score in the 68th minute, combining with Lee on a fast break before slotting past Martinelli. Minutes later, Kean had a header to restore Fiorentina’s lead but missed the target, and his later goal was ruled offside by VAR.
In the fifth minute of added time, Fiorentina’s defensive frailties resurfaced. Comuzzo lost track of Lee, who rose highest to nod home the winning goal and spark jubilation at the Mewa Arena.
It’s another bitter setback for the Viola, who now await the arrival of new manager Paolo Vanoli amid growing frustration over their form. Mainz, meanwhile, celebrated a hard-fought and morale-boosting comeback that keeps their qualification hopes alive.
Match Report
UEFA Conference League – Group Stage
Venue: Mewa Arena (Mainz)
Scorers:
- 16’ Sohm (Fiorentina)
- 68’ Hollerbach (Mainz)
- 90+5’ Lee (Mainz)
Mainz (3-4-3): Zentner; Potulski, Da Costa, Kohr; Mwene (46′ Widmer), Amiri (81′ Bøving), Maloney (60′ Sano), Kawasaki; Nebel (65′ Hollerbach), Weiper, Sieb (60′ Lee).
Coach: Bo Henriksen
Fiorentina (3-5-2): Martinelli; Pongračić, Marì (69′ Comuzzo), Ranieri; Dodò, Sohm (85′ Fagioli), Nicolussi Caviglia, Ndour (59′ Mandragora), Fortini; Fazzini, Piccoli (59′ Kean).
Coach: Galloppa
Referee: Visser (Belgium)
Bookings: Maloney (Mainz), Ndour (Fiorentina), Nebel (Mainz), Marì (Fiorentina), Amiri (Mainz)
Notes: Fiorentina had a goal disallowed for offside (Kean, 87’)
