Serie A | Udinese 2-3 Fiorentina: Comeback victory sends Viola into Conference League

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated May 25, 2025 5:01 PM ET

Fiorentina emerged with three precious points from this chaotic match against 10-man Udinese, leapfrogging Lazio to take a Conference League spot.

The Viola had some slender hope of snatching a Conference League spot, but needed other results to go their way too. Lucas Beltran returned from suspension, but Michael Folorunsho and Nicolò Zaniolo were out injured, with Pietro Comuzzo and Danilo Cataldi not at 100 per cent. The Friulani had Sandi Lovric and Thomas Kristensen suspended, with Jaka Bijol, Martin Payero and Isaak Touré injured.

There was a strange atmosphere after reports the Pozzo family had sold Udinese to American investors, ending a 39-year tenure at the club.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a chaotic start, as Jurgen Ekkelenkamp almost snuck up on Pietro Comuzzo’s poor backpass.

Moise Kean had the ball in the net in the second minute, but only after he was flagged offside on the long David De Gea goal kick.

Kean also threatened to get on the end of a Robin Gosens cross, denied by a desperate Kabasele interception.

Instead, it was Udinese who broke the deadlock, as Oumar Solet knocked down a loose ball and Lorenzo Lucca smashed in first time from 12 yards at the near bottom corner.

Solet went for goal himself by testing De Gea from outside the box, while Kean couldn’t keep his half-volley on target from a Mandragora assist.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances, as Jaka Bijol received a second yellow card for his clumsy sliding tackle on Pablo Mari. He seemed to get the ball before crashing into the Fiorentina defender, but as it was a yellow card, VAR could not intervene.

Kean continued to push for Fiorentina, clipping the upright even though he was already offside.

The Viola did get their equaliser within 60 seconds of the restart, as Nicolò Fagioli had two attempts from the edge of the area charged down, with the third finally making its way through a sea of legs into the bottom corner.

Fiorentina made the most of the extra man by turning it around, as Amir Richardson pulled back from the by-line for a cheeky Pietro Comuzzo back-heel flick from six yards. It was his first Serie A goal and one that, with Lazio losing to Lecce, sent his team into the Conference League spots.

However, 10-man Udinese fought back and when Lucca knocked down a corner, Richardson fired the clearance onto Christian Kabasele, the ricochet going into the net from point-blank range.

Fiorentina knew Lazio were still losing to 10-man Lecce, so turned it around again when Gosens pulled back for Kean, who sent a defender to ground with a dummy and made the most of a Jordan Zemura deflection to wrongfoot Okoye.

Udinese 2-3 Fiorentina

Lucca 26 (U), Fagioli 46 (F), Comuzzo 57 (F), Kabasele 61 (U), Kean 82 (F)

Sent off: Bijol 40 (U)

25-05-2025 19:45 MatchDay 38 Friuli Stadium (Dacia Arena)

Udinese

Fiorentina 2 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Jaka Bijol		9'
Lorenzo Lucca (Assist: Oumar Solet)		26'
Jaka Bijol

39' 2nd half

	46'	Nicolò Fagioli
	50'	Lucas Beltrán
	57'	Pietro Comuzzo (Assist: Amir Richardson)
	59'	Amir Richardson
Christian Kabasele	61'
	82'

Moise Kean (Assist: Robin Gosens) Jesper Karlström

89'

Match statistic

35 Possession % 65 12 Total shots 25 3 Shots on target 11 2 Shots off target 3 7 Blocked shots 11 2 Corners 8 Offsides 3 15 Fouls 6 Udinese Fiorentina

Starting lineups

40 Maduka Okoye Goalkeeper 27

Christian Kabasele Defender 29

Jaka Bijol Defender 33 Jordan Zemura Defender 19

Kingsley Ehizibue Defender 86' 28

Oumar Solet Defender 14 Arthur Atta Midfielder 77' 25

Jesper Karlström Midfielder 32

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp Midfielder 7

Alexis Sánchez Attacker 52' 17 Lorenzo Lucca Attacker 78' 43

David de Gea Goalkeeper 2

Dodô Defender 6

Luca Ranieri Defender

Pablo Marí Defender 15 Pietro Comuzzo Defender 79' 24 Amir Richardson Midfielder 71'

Nicolò Fagioli Midfielder 21

Robin Gosens Midfielder 8

Rolando Mandragora Midfielder 9

Lucas Beltrán Attacker

85' 20

Moise Kean Attacker

Substitutes

Daniele Padelli Goalkeeper 90 Răzvan Sava Goalkeeper 20 Simone Pafundi Midfielder 30 Lautaro Giannetti Defender 99 Damián Pizarro Attacker 6 Oier Zarraga Midfielder 52' 21 Iker Bravo Attacker 77' 9

Keinan Davis Attacker 78' 16 Matteo Palma Defender 86' 32

Danilo Cataldi Midfielder 1

Pietro Terracciano Goalkeeper 65 Fabiano Parisi Defender 23

Andrea Colpani Midfielder 29

Yacine Adli Midfielder 30 Tommaso Martinelli Goalkeeper 22 Matías Moreno Defender 10

Albert Gudmundsson Attacker 71' 5

Marin Pongracic Defender 79'

Cher Ndour Midfielder

85'

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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