Torino beat Fiorentina 2-1 with late comeback as Fabio Grosso faces fan backlash

Second-half comeback at the Franchi

Torino secured their first points of the Serie A season on 5 September 2026, defeating Fiorentina 2-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The home side opened the scoring in the 48th minute when Mateo Pellegrino struck a left-footed shot from nearly 30 meters that slipped through the gloves of Torino goalkeeper Lucas Perri. The goal was Pellegrino's first for the club since joining. Torino responded in the 74th minute through former Fiorentina midfielder Rolando Mandragora, who leveled the match with a long-range left-footed effort assisted by Eray Cömert that beat David De Gea. The visitors completed the turnaround in the 82nd minute when substitute Belghali dispossessed Valdepeñas on the right wing and crossed for Ché Adams, who finished acrobatically from close range.

First-half chances and early injuries

The match opened with immediate pressure from Fiorentina in the first minute, when Perri saved an initial strike from Franco Mastantuono before defenders cleared a rebound effort from Alieu Njie off the line. Torino then established sustained possession across the midfield, with Fitz-Jim creating central openings while Mandragora forced a corner save from De Gea in the 27th minute. Whistles from the home crowd began around the 30th minute as the hosts struggled to retain the ball. Fiorentina suffered an injury setback before the interval when midfielder Oulai was forced off and replaced by Cher Ndour. At half-time, Fiorentina manager Fabio Grosso replaced Mastantuono with Wilfried Gnonto and introduced Arthur Atta in place of Marco Brescianini.

Strategic shifts turn the match

Fiorentina nearly doubled their lead early in the second half, but Perri reacted quickly to save a header from Atta. Torino coach Ignazio Abate then altered his formation, first replacing wing-backs Fortini and Cacciamani with Patterson and Belghali. Abate shifted his team into a 4-3-1-2 shape midway through the second half, introducing Giovanni Simeone and Bragança in place of Gvidas Gineitis and Pietro Comuzzo. The tactical change disrupted Fiorentina's defensive structure, allowing Mandragora space to score from distance to applause from the home Curva Fiesole. Eight minutes later, Valdepeñas miscontrolled a pass, enabling Belghali to deliver the decisive assist for Adams before referee Massa concluded the contest.

Pressure mounts on Fabio Grosso

The defeat leaves Fiorentina at the bottom of the Serie A standings with zero points from their first three fixtures. The Florence club previously lost 4-0 away to Roma in their opening match and suffered a 3-0 home defeat against Frosinone on the second matchday. Home supporters jeered the squad at the final whistle and chanted for Grosso's dismissal, while fans on social media demanded the manager's resignation after he walked directly down the tunnel. The victory provided Torino with their first three league points of the campaign, following two opening losses and a midweek elimination from the Coppa Italia by Monza. Fiorentina return to action on Friday, 11 September 2026, with an away fixture against Venezia, while Torino host Roma on Monday, 14 September 2026.