Fiorentina and Juventus shared the points at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on matchday twelve of Serie A, following an intense and eventful encounter. The Bianconeri took the lead at the end of the first half thanks to a stunning strike from Filip Kostić, while the Viola responded early in the second half with a brilliant finish from Rolando Mandragora. The draw leaves a bitter taste, especially for Vanoli’s side, still hunting for their first win of the season.

The game came alive in the 15th minute when Dusan Vlahovic showcased a moment of pure class: a backheel that allowed him to glide past Pablo Marí and face De Gea one-on-one. The Fiorentina defender brought him down, and referee Doveri initially pointed to the spot. However, a VAR review overturned the decision after checking for a possible earlier foul by the Serbian striker, keeping the score level at 0-0.

Shortly after, the match was halted due to racist abuse directed at Vlahovic. The referee stopped play, while captain Ranieri intervened to calm the fans. After several tense minutes, the game resumed.

Fiorentina nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Moise Kean surged from midfield and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from a tight angle, only to see the ball crash against the crossbar. Ten minutes later, it was Vlahovic’s turn to threaten: he controlled the ball perfectly, dribbled past De Gea, but his touch took him too far wide; his resulting shot hit the outside of the net.

The breakthrough arrived just before halftime. Juventus sustained another attacking wave, and Filip Kostić unleashed a left-footed rocket from outside the area that nestled perfectly into the bottom corner, unstoppable for De Gea. The goal gave the Bianconeri a crucial lead heading into the break.

Fiorentina struck back immediately in the second half with a moment of brilliance. Kean laid the ball off to Mandragora, who controlled it and, while falling, fired a spectacular left-footed shot into the top corner, beyond the reach of Di Gregorio. The game remained tense, with chances at both ends: the Bianconeri goalkeeper saved a strong effort from Kean, while De Gea denied McKennie on Juventus’ side.

As the match wound down, the intensity dropped, and the score remained 1-1. Fiorentina, despite signs of improvement, remain bottom of the table, postponing their first victory yet again. Juventus, under Spalletti, secured their second consecutive draw, staying in sixth place and losing further ground in the race for European qualification.

Filip Kostić

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