Fiorentina limps out of the international break in search of its first win, having harvested just 2 points from its first 3 matches. A win against visiting Como could be just the thing to jump start Stefano Pioli’s boys, although the Lariani have looked pretty solid thus far. The match will be played on Sunday, 21 September 2025, at 5:00 PM GMT/1:00 PM EST, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze. The forecast calls for pretty serious heat, the sort that could impact proceedings significantly.
Three things to watch for
1. Have the forwards woken up yet? Moise Kean’s off to a miserable start to the year, failing to find the back of the net in Serie A thus far despite leading the league in xG, per Opta and somehow failing to score an unmarked header with his toes on the goal line against Cagliari. On the plus side, he scored 3 goals across 2 games for Italy over the break and has shaken off a fever that briefly knocked him out of training.
Part of the problem is that his colleagues haven’t picked up the slack at all. Albert Guðmundsson’s been the same guy he was last year, failing to show his Genoa sparkle. Edin Džeko looks rinsed, unable to contribute outside of sitting in the box and serving as a target when Fiorentina’s chasing games. Roberto Piccoli’s still figuring out how to coexist with Kean, as they play similarly.
That latter pair especially needs to step up. Part of the reason the Viola shelled out so much on forwards this summer was to lighten the scoring burden that Kean shouldered alone last year. While the rest of the team hasn’t created many chances, all of the forwards need to show some signs of life now, right now, or this season could start sliding down the drain. Fortunately, Como isn’t impregnable defensively, but we need to see dramatic improvement from all the strikers.
2. How does the midfield react to Como’s press? Cesc Fabregas has shown off some interesting tactical chops since taking the reins in 2023. The in-possession stuff has made the headlines—slick interchanges, clear positional principles, third-man runs— but it’s he way his side presses that’s of greater interst. Como’s closed down even more this year than last and has done a very good job of congesting the center, forcing everything down the wings. That’s how Fiorentina’s played too and it hasn’t been pretty.
I haven’t been impressed with the Viola midfield so far. Nicolò Fagioli, Simon Sohm, Rolando Mandragora, Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, Jacopo Fazzini, and Cher Ndour all have fascinating individual characteristics Fagioli’s the only one I trust when he’s getting pressed, although Fazzini and HNC have shown flashes of press resistance too. If Como can swarm them, it won’t really matter what Fiorentina’s forwards do because they’ll never sniff the ball.
3. Which forwards start? With Guðmundsson healthy again (for now), Pioli has to figure out a shape. Como isn’t Napoli but sending out just 2 midfielders against Fabregas’ trio will allow the visitors to dominate the game, so I’d expect the mister to ditch the 3-4-1-2. That means choosing between Guðmundsson, Piccoli, and Džeko to partner Kean up front.
I’d expect Bobby Smalls or Albert to get the nod. If it’s the former, Pioli might feel more comfortable ceding the middle and going long more often, relying on his strikers’ physicality to unsettle Como’s defenders in individual battles. If it’s the latter, a more measured approach in possession makes sense to get the Icelander on the ball between the lines, where he theoretically thrives. The team sheet should give us a decent idea of how Pioli wants to approach this one.
Possible lineups
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Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department
The bookies have this one just about even but with Fiorentina as the slightest of favorites. That feels reasonable. Como’s become something of a media darling in the past year, with Fabregas and Paz garnering plaudits from all sides, but isn’t a juggernaut. The Viola, meanwhile, have disappointed this year but are better than they’ve looked, especially now that the new signings have had a fortnight to dig in.
I’ll take the hosts in a 2-1 win, with goals for Kean, Robin Gosens, and Jesus Rodríguez. Como will control possession and play “better,” whatever that means, but I think Fiorentina’s front two will cause a lot of problems in transitional situations and that’ll be the difference.
Forza Viola!
