Fiorentina left Genoa with another defeat and a familiar sense of incompleteness, as Paolo Vanoli’s side slipped back into the relegation places after six Serie A rounds. The performance at the Marassi suggested that the lift created by the change of coach has not yet become a stable foundation: Genoa were organised, energetic and decisive, while Fiorentina struggled to impose themselves until the match had already moved away from them.
Key takeaways
- Fiorentina have collected four points from six league matches and have conceded 14 goals, the highest total in Serie A.
- Genoa’s opening goal followed a 40-second, 13-pass move and ended with Nikola Osmajic scoring freely in the penalty area.
- Osmajic made a major impact for Genoa with both a goal and an assist after returning from international duty.
- Vanoli introduced Goncalves only in the final 10 minutes, when Fiorentina were already finding little room around Genoa’s box.
- Fiorentina’s goal difference stands at minus seven, compared with minus four after six matches last season.
Genoa’s preparation exposes Fiorentina’s uncertainty
Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa were ready for the contest. Their work without the ball was collective, with regular doubling up against Fiorentina’s wide players and a structure that carried from defensive duties into attacking phases. The hosts also appeared to return from the international break with greater conviction.
Several Genoa internationals raised the level on their return. Morten Thorsby Ellertsson, Leo Ostigard, Johan Vasquez and Osmajic all contributed, with the Montenegro forward particularly influential through his goal and assist. Fiorentina’s returning players — Oulai, Dragusin, Mastantuono, Ndour and Fagioli — did not have the same effect.
The first goal offered a harsh summary of Fiorentina’s condition, physically and mentally. Traoré found space as Oulai arrived late, before Mastantuono failed to close Vasquez. Jimenez was then beaten by El Shaarawy, while Dragusin could not contain Osmajic. Ndour allowed El Shaarawy room for his effort, David De Gea’s save did not clear the danger, and Gnonto lost track of Ellertsson. Osmajic was left unmarked in the middle to finish the move.
It was a goal born from a series of small failures rather than one isolated mistake. For a side fighting to restore confidence, that sequence will be especially troubling.
Fiorentina did produce more urgency in the closing minutes of the first half and after the interval, but their attacks became congested outside Genoa’s area. The visitors had more of the ball without finding clarity. In those circumstances, Goncalves might have offered an earlier alternative, yet he arrived only near the end.
Vanoli must turn time into recovery
There were also structural limits in Fiorentina’s attacking selections. With Beto largely absent from the match, the players operating behind him — Mastantuono, Gnonto and Oulai — were all considerably smaller than the physically imposing Genoa defenders. Against that type of back line, Fiorentina needed exceptional technical execution to shift the contest; instead, the three attackers were largely removed from it.
The international break cannot explain the result on its own. Both teams had the same pause, but Genoa used it to return sharper. Fiorentina emerged with the same fragility that had marked their opening three league fixtures.
The numbers make the situation more serious. At this stage last season, Fiorentina had one point fewer, with three, but had conceded only eight times rather than 14. The present side therefore has a marginally better points total but a substantially weaker defensive record.
Last year’s difficult campaign has also left the club’s surroundings less patient and more suspicious when setbacks arrive. Vanoli’s advantage is his experience of difficult dressing-room moments and his understanding of how to guide a young group through them. His arrival had generated an immediate response in Venice, against Napoli and against Pisa in the Coppa Italia, but the display in Genoa — particularly the first half — brought Fiorentina back towards old concerns.
There is still time for the season to change course. For Vanoli and his players, however, that time must now be used to rebuild defensive reliability, morale and a clearer identity before the early damage becomes a heavier burden.
