Serie A | Fiorentina 1-3 Como: Liberali celebrates first Serie A goal
FLORENCE, ITALY - OCTOBER 18: Mattia Liberali of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Como 1907 at Stadio Artemio Franchi on October 18, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Como were clinical in a 3-1 victory away to Fiorentina and celebrated Mattia Liberali’s first start with a goal, but the Viola were frustrated by the referee and VAR.
The Viola were revitalised by the return of coach Paolo Vanoli, but hit another bump with their 2-1 defeat at Genoa. Luca Ranieri, Arthur Atta and Fabiano Parisi missed out, with Mateo Pellegrino back to partner Franco Mastantuono.
Como were feeling the strain with one point from two Serie A rounds and their first Champions League defeat to Feyenoord, where Assane Diao joined Moise Kean on the treatment table, the Italy international missing a clash with his former club. Mattia Liberali got his first start, but Yan Couto pulled out in the warm-up, replaced by Ivan Smolcic.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
It was a reunion on the touchline, as Paolo Vanoli was Antonio Conte’s assistant manager at Chelsea when Cesc Fabregas was a player.
Pedro Goncalves had his first start and immediately sent Alieu Njie clear on goal only to be cut off by Marc-Oliver Kempf, then moments later his flick inspired Niccolò Fagioli only for a desperate block to deflect the finish wide.
Como were forced into an early change, as Trevoh Chalobah sustained a muscular injury, making way for Jacobo Ramon.
Lucas Da Cunha’s curler was palmed round the far post with difficulty by David De Gea, who also parried the Tasos Douvikas header on the resulting corner, Liberali firing the rebound wide.
De Gea flew to fingertip the Nico Paz header out from under the bar, and Cher Ndour charged down a powerful Douvikas volley with his face.
It was wide open in Florence, Mastantuono rolling across from the right for Pellegrino’s tap-in, denied by a Jacobo Ramon deflection to help Jean Butez.
Como took the lead amid controversy, as Kempf appeared to foul Pedro Goncalves to start the counter-attack, but there was no denying the fantastic left-foot curling finish from Liberali into the far bottom corner from inside the area. It was his debut Serie A goal on the 19-year-old’s first start for Como, and also the first Serie A goal scored by an Italian for Como since Patrick Cutrone in May 2025.
Moments later, they doubled their advantage with Alex Valle whipping in the cross from the left for a towering Nico Paz header, steered back across De Gea into the top corner.
Fiorentina got back into it with a corner, as Jacobo Ramon cleared the Viery header almost off the line, but only as far as Marin Pongracic to fire in the rebound from seven yards, his first ever Serie A goal.
Moments later it was nearly 2-2, Mastantuono’s angled drive flashing across the face of goal, and the Viola did get the ball in the net in first half stoppages when Pongracic met the Mastantuono free kick at the back post with a cushioned volley. However, it was disallowed after a four-minute VAR check for offside, as the Semi-Automatic Offside Technology (SAOT) was not working.
Straight after the restart, Alieu Njie ran onto an inspired Fagioli ball over the top and flicked it beyond the on-rushing Butez, but only onto the side-netting of an open goal.
Fiorentina were pouring forward, but after Cher Ndour’s shot straight at Butez and a Mastantuono attempt charged down, they were caught on the counter.
Pedro Goncalves gave it away, so Nico Paz sent Douvikas down the right with a slide-rule pass, his finish squirming under De Gea’s legs.
Nico Paz spotted De Gea off his line and attempted a lob from midfield, while the goalkeeper got a glove to the Maxence Caqueret strike and Pongracic charged down the Bruno Kaiki tap-in from six yards.
It really should’ve been 3-2 on 76 minutes when Marco Brescianini put the cross in for Njie’s free header from a couple of yards, but he incredibly nodded it onto the upright.
Fagioli also tested Butez with two curlers from the edge of the area.
Liberali 32 (C), Nico Paz 36 (C), Pongracic 42 (F), Douvikas 56 (C)
1st half
| 28' |  |
Álex Valle | ||
| 32' |  |
Mattia Liberali (Assist: Maxence Caqueret) | ||
| 36' | Nico Paz (Assist: Álex Valle) | |||
| 39' | Nico Paz | |||
| Marin Pongracic | 42' | |||
| 45+3' | Jacobo Ramón |
2nd half
| 56' | Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Nico Paz) | |||
| Cher Ndour | 68' |
Fiorentina
Como
43
Goalkeeper
20
Defender
69'
5
Defender
3
Defender
33
Defender
64'
27
Midfielder
79'
30
Midfielder
69'
44
Midfielder
28
Midfielder
63'
25
Attacker
32
Attacker
1
Goalkeeper
3
Defender
46'
28
Defender
2
Defender
99
Defender
14'
6
Midfielder
30
Midfielder
83'
8
Midfielder
10
Midfielder
61'
9
Attacker
7
Attacker
83'
19
Goalkeeper
17
Defender
53
Goalkeeper
73
Midfielder
42
Midfielder
72
Attacker
74
Defender
29
Attacker
63'
21
Defender
64'
4
Midfielder
69'
2
Defender
69'
23
Attacker
79'
18
Defender
22
Goalkeeper
20
Midfielder
27
Defender
13
Defender
Goalkeeper
42
Attacker
17
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