Sassuolo 2-4 Fiorentina: Mastantuono Ends Winless Run
Fiorentina ended a 52-day winless run in Serie A with a dramatic 4-2 victory away at Sassuolo on Monday, 2 November 2026, at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. Franco Mastantuono scored the decisive goal in the 79th minute before Victor Valdepenas sealed the win in stoppage time, lifting the Viola out of the relegation zone.
How the match unfolded
Sassuolo took the lead in the 25th minute when Armand Lauriente finished from a Sebastiano Esposito assist. Fiorentina levelled just before half time, with Mateo Pellegrino turning home in the second minute of first-half stoppage time after a pass from Alieu Njie. The visitors went ahead five minutes after the restart when Njie curled in a fine finish of his own. Lauriente struck again in the 65th minute to complete his brace and make it 2-2, setting up a tense finish.
Mastantuono delivers the winner
The turning point came in the 79th minute. Substitute Pedro Goncalves played a clever no-look pass to Franco Mastantuono, who fired home with his left foot to restore Fiorentina’s lead. Mastantuono, playing his first Serie A season after arriving from Real Madrid, celebrated a goal that ended weeks of frustration for his side. Valdepenas then added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time, assisted by Cher Ndour, to complete a thrilling second half in which Fiorentina scored three times after the break.
What the result means
The win was Fiorentina’s first since 11 September, and it moved them level with Sassuolo on eight points, three clear of the relegation zone. Head coach Paolo Vanoli said afterwards that his side had deserved three points for a long time and praised the impact of his substitutes in the relegation battle. Sassuolo, meanwhile, suffered a fourth consecutive defeat and sit 17th on goal difference, without a win in six matches. Sassuolo travel to AS Roma on Saturday, while Fiorentina host Juventus on Sunday in what will be a major test of whether this comeback can continue.
Fiorentina’s struggles had left them hovering near the bottom of the 20-team table despite a squad packed with young talent. Vanoli is the club’s second coach of the season, and the victory gives him breathing room after weeks of pressure. For Sassuolo, the concern runs deeper: the hosts had gone into the game 14th on eight points after a heavy 6-2 home defeat by Lazio, and this loss extends a run that has seen them slide toward the drop zone. Lauriente’s brace showed the hosts still carry a threat in attack, but defensive lapses in the second half proved costly once again, with three goals conceded after the interval.
Read more: our report on Newcastle’s 0-1 win at Everton https://ntmnews.online/?p=3366 and Al Ain’s 4-1 win over Al Ittihad https://ntmnews.online/?p=3376
Source: Sportsnet, Football Italia, OneFootball and theScore match reports, 2 November 2026.