Mastantuono scores first Serie A hat trick as Fiorentina beat Venezia 4-2

Franco Mastantuono produced a breakout performance in Italian football with a memorable hat trick. The Argentine playmaker, on loan at Fiorentina from Real Madrid, fired his side to a 4-2 victory away at Venezia and secured their first three points of the campaign. Two of his goals came within sixty seconds of each other in the first half, right when the Viola needed a response after Akor Adams had given the hosts the lead.

• Mastantuono scored his first two Serie A goals in the same minute, between the 29th and 30th of the match.
• Fiorentina picked up their first points of the season after three straight league defeats.
• Akor Adams, signed from Sevilla, put Venezia 1-0 up with a superb strike past David De Gea.
• Cher Ndour assisted the Argentine's third goal with a chipped pass as he sealed the win in the 84th minute.
• Venezia, with Toni Fernández on the pitch, pulled one back through a volley from Antoine Hainaut.

Mastantuono breaks his scoring drought with two goals in a minute

Mastantuono's start to life in Serie A had not been easy. Sent to Florence to earn minutes and experience, the Argentine had struggled to shine in his early appearances for the Viola. That all changed at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo in Venice, where he showed exactly why Real Madrid saw him as a special talent.

Paolo Vanoli, back on the Fiorentina bench after Fabio Grosso was sacked on Sunday, deployed the young talent on the right side of the attack. The response was immediate: in the 11th minute he threatened with a driving run into the box that ended with a shot blocked at the last moment by fellow Argentine Matías Moreno. The warning soon became reality.

After Venezia opened the scoring through Akor Adams' stunning strike in the 22nd minute, Mastantuono took charge. In the 29th he beat a defender and fired a low shot beyond the goalkeeper at the near post. Sixty seconds later, on the counterattack, he produced a left-footed finish into the far corner that silenced the home crowd. Two goals in a minute turned the game completely.

How Fiorentina responded after Venezia took the lead

Venezia, promoted this season, went ahead through a moment of individual brilliance from Akor Adams. The Nigerian striker, signed from Sevilla in the summer, received the ball inside the area and, without controlling it, unleashed a powerful half-volley that gave David De Gea no chance. It was his first Serie A goal after two in the Coppa Italia.

That goal did not knock Fiorentina off their stride. The Tuscan side controlled possession and created chances on a regular basis. Mastantuono's response arrived late in the first half and flipped the scoreline before the break. From that point on, the Viola managed their lead with composure against a side that pushed but lacked precision.

Second half: Pellegrino strikes and Mastantuono completes his treble

Venezia looked for a way back into the game after the restart. As in previous rounds, they put together some tidy moves and got into dangerous areas, but their finishing let them down. David De Gea also came up with key interventions, while Akor Adams found himself in a physical battle with central defender Radu Dragusin, who gave him very little room.

Mateo Pellegrino effectively killed the game in the 66th minute. The forward broke away on his own during a counterattack, carried the ball over a long distance and finished across Filip Stankovic as the goalkeeper came out to meet him. The goal gave Fiorentina breathing room and set the stage for Mastantuono's crowning moment.

The Argentine completed his hat trick in the 84th minute after an excellent chipped pass from Cher Ndour. Mastantuono's first-time effort was saved by Stankovic, but the rebound struck the Argentine's body and the ball rolled over the line. A fortunate finish to cap a superb individual display.

What the win means for Fiorentina after their first three Serie A games

The victory in Venice carries huge significance for Fiorentina. They arrived at the match with zero points after three consecutive defeats at the start of the Italian league season, a run that cost Fabio Grosso his job. With Vanoli back in charge, the Viola finally got off the mark and picked up their first win of the campaign.

The result also reshapes the bottom of the table. Fiorentina move off the foot of the standings and leave that position to Venezia, who had also lost their three previous matches and remain without a point.

Venezia grab a consolation goal with Toni Fernández on the pitch

In the closing stages, Venezia at least managed to add a goal that made the final scoreline look slightly better. With Toni Fernández, newly arrived from Barcelona, already on the pitch, Antoine Hainaut pulled one back with a well-struck volley following a cross from the left by Ridgeciano Haps.

The goal did not change the pattern of the game, but it highlighted the home side's attacking intent. Even so, a lack of clinical finishing once again punished a Venezia team that creates chances but does not convert them with the consistency required in Serie A.

Why Mastantuono's hat trick matters for his future at Real Madrid

Mastantuono joined Fiorentina with the label of a top prospect and the mission of proving himself in one of Europe's most demanding leagues. His first goals in Italy coming in the form of a hat trick shows he has the tools to make a difference when given regular minutes and trust. Real Madrid are closely following his development in Florence.

The loan spell is seen as a crucial stage in his growth. Performances like the one in Venice strengthen his case for a bigger role in a team that needed a boost both mentally and on the pitch. The Argentine delivered exactly when it mattered most.