Fiorentina cruise to their first league win of the season with a dominant display at the Franchi, overwhelming Udinese after an early dismissal and rediscovering their attacking spark.
Fiorentina finally got their Serie A campaign up and running with an emphatic 5-1 home victory over Udinese, a match effectively decided by an early moment of madness from visiting goalkeeper Maduka Okoye. Playing against ten men for nearly the entire contest, the Viola delivered their most convincing performance of the season and showed clear signs of revival after a disastrous start.
The turning point came in the opening minutes, when Okoye rushed out of his box and handled the ball to deny Moise Kean a clear scoring opportunity. Referee Mariani had no hesitation in showing the red card, leaving Udinese with a mountain to climb.
From that moment on, the match tilted heavily in Fiorentina’s favor. After creating several chances—including a long-range effort from Albert Gudmundsson that struck the post—the breakthrough arrived in the 21st minute. Rolando Mandragora curled a superb free kick past the replacement goalkeeper to open the scoring.
The Viola were relentless. Gudmundsson doubled the lead with a stunning strike from distance, fully justifying the applause from the Franchi crowd. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Fiorentina made it 3-0 as Ndour rose highest to head home from a precise assist by an inspired Nicolò Fagioli.
Udinese attempted a reaction at the start of the second half, but Fiorentina quickly extinguished any hope. Moise Kean took center stage, scoring twice in quick succession to cap a dominant attacking display and mark his return to the scoresheet. In between Kean’s goals, Oumar Solet produced a fine individual effort to score a consolation goal for Udinese, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult afternoon for the Friuli side.
The final whistle confirmed a much-needed and morale-boosting win for Fiorentina, who remain at the bottom of the table but can now look ahead with renewed confidence. Udinese, meanwhile, will rue Okoye’s early dismissal as they reflect on a match that quickly spiraled out of control.
Match Report
Fiorentina 5-1 Udinese
Goals:
21’ Mandragora (F), 42’ Gudmundsson (F), 45+5’ Ndour (F), 56’ Kean (F), 66’ Solet (U), 68’ Kean (F)
Fiorentina (4-3-3):
De Gea; Dodô, Pongracic, Comuzzo, Ranieri; Mandragora (53’ Fortini), Fagioli (82’ Nicolussi Caviglia), Ndour; Parisi (71’ Kouamé), Kean (71’ Piccoli), Gudmundsson.
Coach: Vanoli.
Udinese (3-5-2):
Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele (10’ Sava), Solet; Zanoli (46’ Kamara), Piotrowski, Karlström, Ekkelenkamp (66’ Gueye), Bertola; Zaniolo (46’ Lovric), Davis (65’ Buksa).
Coach: Runjaic.
Referee: Mariani
Yellow cards: Zanoli (Udinese); Parisi, Ranieri, Nicolussi Caviglia (Fiorentina)
Red cards: Okoye (Udinese, 8’)
