Monza completed an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down to beat Fiorentina 3-2, inflicting the first Serie A defeat on the Viola since February.
The Viola were through to the Conference League semi-finals, even if their run of 11 wins and three draws in all competition came to an end, and prepared for next week’s Coppa Italia semi against Cremonese. Giacomo Bonaventura, Lorenzo Venuti, Josip Brekalo and Salvatore Sirigu missed out, while Monza fresh from beating Inter were without Stefano Sensi.
Fiorentina broke the deadlock when a Cristiano Biraghi corner found Christian Kouame in acres of space from nine yards for a diving header, his first Serie A goal since October.
An acrobatic Arthur Cabral overhead kick was charged down by Armando Izzo and the second goal came moments later, as Kouame’s wayward shot turned into an assist for Riccardo Saponara to tap in from six yards, kept onside by Izzo.
Pietro Terracciano parried a towering Luca Caldirola header on a corner, but Monza got back into it when Gianluca Caprari tried to shoot from the by-line, Terracciano parried it into the back of Biraghi and the ricochet went into the net from point-blank range.
Caprari threatened again down the left, this time cutting inside to curl wide of the far top corner, and Monza completed the comeback from 2-0 down in under 20 minutes.
It was route one, Michele Di Gregorio’s long ball allowed to bounce by Lucas Martinez-Quarta, so Dany Mota Carvalho got in front to prod it past the on-rushing Terracciano.
Monza had the ball in the back of the net again in first half stoppages, but Matteo Pessina controlled the corner with his hand rather than his chest, so it was disallowed.
Andrea Colpani really should’ve scored for 3-2 after the restart, but made a horrible mess if finishing the Caprari counter-attack, scuffing the finish wide of an open goal.
Monza received a penalty when Dany Mota Carvalho got away from Dodo only to have his foot trodden on by Sofyan Amrabat coming in late. Pessina kept his cool to send Terracciano the wrong way and convert.
Di Gregorio did well to smother a deflected Riccardo Sottil chest and volley, while Gaetano Castrovilli got away with a shove on Caprari in the box.
Monza continued to threaten, Cabral risking an own goal on the Patrick Ciurria free kick, then on the resulting corner Izzo’s header down for Luca Caldirola to thump the upright.
Monza 3-2 Fiorentina
Kouame 8 (F), Saponara 13 (F), Biraghi og 26 (M), Mota Carvalho 43 (M), Pessina pen 59 (M)
Player statistic
| 8' |  |
Christian Kouamé (Assist: Cristiano Biraghi) | ||
| 13' | |
Riccardo Saponara (Assist: Christian Kouamé) | ||
| Cristiano Biraghi |  |
26' | ||
| Carlos Augusto |  |
33' | ||
| 39' | |
Antonin Barak | ||
| Dany Mota (Assist: Michele Di Gregorio) |
|
43' | ||
| 43' | |
Nikola Milenkovic |
| 57' | |
Sofyan Amrabat | ||
| Matteo Pessina |  |
59' | ||
| Armando Izzo | |
69' | ||
| Nicolò Rovella | |
90+2' |
Match statistic
