Serie A | Fiorentina 1-1 Inter: Fresh disappointment cuts lead again

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Skip to contentFLORENCE, ITALY – MARCH 22: Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and FC Internazionale at Artemio Franchi on March 22, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Inter were held to another 1-1 draw by Fiorentina, as Cher Ndour cancelled out the early Francesco Pio Esposito header, so the lead at the top is cut to just six points.

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The Nerazzurri were feeling the pressure after Derby della Madonnina defeat and a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, as Milan and Napoli had already won this weekend. Alessandro Bastoni joined Lautaro Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the treatment table, but Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries were finding fitness again. Aleksandar Kolarov stood in for suspended Cristian Chivu and Inter ultras were banned from travelling due to security concerns.

The Viola had a big week, crushing Cremonese 4-1 on Monday and winning 2-1 away to Rakow on Thursday to set up a Conference League quarter-final against Crystal Palace. Moise Kean was ready to shake off an ankle issue, but Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey were still out, with Rolando Mandragora carrying a calf twinge.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took just 40 seconds to break the deadlock, as a poor Robin Gosens clearance was put back into the box by Nicolò Barella from the right, finding Francesco Pio Esposito for a free header from six yards.

Gosens nearly gave away another moments later, his clearance going straight up into the air from a Marcus Thuram run, allowing Esposito to test David De Gea from point-blank range.

Kean was offside when failing to tap in from a Gosens cross, as was Barella when finding the net on a Denzel Dumfries assist.

Inter had penalty appeals on eight minutes for a potential Marin Pongracic handling offence, but the referee and VAR considered the arm in a natural position.

Yann Sommer took the sting out of a Kean curler, then Esposito sprung the offside trap for an angled drive to skim the base of the far post.

Albert Gudmundsson’s glancing header on a Dodo cross also flashed inches wide, as it struck his shoulder on the way through.

Yann Bisseck’s desperate block prevented Kean tapping in the Gudmundsson roll across from six yards, then on the resulting corner Kean came sliding in at the back post just unable to get onto the Marco Brescianini assist from point-blank range.

Sommer came rushing out to deny Fabiano Parisi, then again as Kean had sent Cher Ndour through on goal.

Kean had the ball in the net with a volley, but was offside when Nicolò Fagioli’s effort from outside the area took a big deflection off Carlos Augusto to loop up into his path.

The tempo was less frantic after the restart, Manuel Akanji and Thuram unable to keep headers on target from set plays.

Fiorentina had a big chance to equalise on 71 minutes when Sommer got down to parry the first-time Ndour strike from the edge of the area, Bisseck crucial to prevent Brescianini tapping in the rebound.

Fagioli also scuffed a volley wide and Kean only grazed the Dodo cross with his head, as the pressure paid off when Sommer got down to only palm a Gudmundsson angled drive into the path of Ndour at the back post.

Jack Harrison also bent a left-foot strike just wide of the far post, while Akanji off balance could only prod into De Gea’s arms after a corner.

With the last kick of the game, Esposito managed to control the Acerbi cross with his back to goal and turn Luca Ranieri to shoot, but was denied by a great De Gea reaction save.

Fiorentina 1-1 Inter

Esposito 1 (I), Ndour 77 (F)

22-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 30

Artemio Franchi StadiumFiorentinaInter

Live1 – 1

Player statistic

Fiorentina

Inter

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea
Goalkeeper

2

Dodô
Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi
Defender

69′

6

Luca Ranieri
Defender

5

Marin Pongracic
Defender

27

Cher Ndour
Midfielder

4

Marco Brescianini
Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli
Midfielder

90′

21

Robin Gosens
Midfielder

10

Albert Gudmundsson
Attacker

90′

20

Moise Kean
Attacker

86′

1

Yann Sommer
Goalkeeper

32

Federico Dimarco
Defender

25

Manuel Akanji
Defender

31

Yann Bisseck
Defender

30

Carlos Augusto
Midfielder

46′

2

Denzel Dumfries
Midfielder

86′

20

Hakan Calhanoglu
Midfielder

69′

23

Nicolò Barella
Midfielder

83′

7

Piotr Zielinski
Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito
Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram
Attacker

68′

Substitutes

22

Jacopo Fazzini
Midfielder

3

Daniele Rugani
Defender

53

Oliver Christensen
Goalkeeper

60

Eddy Kouadio
Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli
Goalkeeper

62

Luis Balbo
Defender

17

Jack Harrison
Attacker

69′

91

Roberto Piccoli
Attacker

86′

80

Giovanni Fabbian
Midfielder

90′

15

Pietro Comuzzo
Defender

90′

36

Matteo Darmian
Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij
Defender

13

Josep Martínez
Goalkeeper

17

Andy Diouf
Attacker

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro
Goalkeeper

47

Matteo Spinaccè
Attacker

49

Yvan Maye
Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi
Defender

46′

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny
Defender

68′

16

Davide Frattesi
Midfielder

69′

8

Petar Sucic
Defender

83′

11

Luis Henrique
Attacker

86′

BySusy Campanale

Original Article