Franco Mastantuono's Hat-Trick Leads Fiorentina to Victory in Venice

Franco Mastantuono needed one night in Serie A to announce himself.

On loan from Real Madrid and still adapting to life in Florence, the forward exploded into the Italian top flight with a stunning hat-trick in Fiorentina’s 4-2 win away to Venezia on matchday four.

For a while it looked like a solid debut, nothing more. Good movement, clean touches, sharp involvement in the build-up. Then came the 29th minute. And the 30th. Ninety-six seconds that flipped the match – and his status – on its head.

Venezia had struck first, forcing Fiorentina to chase the game. The visitors pushed their line higher, the ball started to find Mastantuono more often on the right side of the attack, and suddenly the contest tilted.

The pressure finally told.

Just before the half-hour, Mastantuono collected the ball wide on the right, drifted into space and unleashed a left-footed strike from outside the box. Venezia’s goalkeeper could only watch as it flew past him. Fiorentina were level, and the away bench roared.

Barely time to reset.

Seconds later, the same pattern: Mastantuono again picking up possession on that right channel, again shaping onto his left, again letting fly from distance. Same foot, same zone, same result. Another precise shot from outside the area, another helpless look from the Venezia keeper, another shock for the home crowd.

Two goals in one minute and 36 seconds. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, almost in a blur.

Those twin strikes didn’t just complete the comeback; they ripped the momentum away from Venezia and handed Fiorentina full control. Every touch Mastantuono took after that carried a different weight. Every time he received the ball, the home defence tightened, unsure whether to close him down or back off.

The game settled into a different rhythm after the break, Fiorentina managing their lead and Venezia searching for a way back. Mastantuono, though, still had one more decisive moment in him.

As the clock ticked into the 84th minute, he produced his most delicate piece of work of the night. A sharp individual move inside the six-yard box left the Venezia goalkeeper exposed, Mastantuono gliding past him and finishing to make it 1-4. A poacher’s goal to complete a hat-trick built on long-range brilliance.

Three goals on his Fiorentina debut. All of them crucial, each one a different snapshot of a forward overflowing with confidence.

With the job done and the scoreboard commanding, he left the pitch in the 88th minute, substituted to close out a night he will struggle to top. Venezia would find a second goal, but the story of the match – and perhaps a hint of Fiorentina’s season to come – belonged to the Real Madrid loanee who turned Venice into his personal stage.