The Fiorentina debut of the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper was dull. De Gea let three goals in the UEFA Conference League first round encounter against Puskas Academy of Hungary, with two of those goals coming in the first twelve minutes of the contest. The final score was a 3-3 tie between Fiorentina and Puskas Academy.

De Gea last let a goal slip in May of 2023, 446 days ago, when Manchester United lost the FA Cup to Manchester City 1-2. Up against Puskas Academy, a Hungarian National League club that few football enthusiasts have ever heard of. But the Spanish goalie and his teammates were a major letdown.

After only nine minutes of play, Zsolt Nagy scored from the penalty spot, and Mikael Soisalo’s thunderous shot was unblocked by De Gea just three minutes later.

Thankfully, De Gea’s new teammates managed to salvage the situation. Just before halftime, the home team’s lead was reduced thanks to a goal by Riccardo Sottil.

Moise Kean and Lucas Martinez Quarta gave Fiorentina the lead in the second half. In a thrilling match, though, Wojciech Golla’s goal leveled the score at 3-3, shocking the Artemio Franchi Stadium and the Hungarian team.Despite being created only in 2005, Puskas Academy finished third in Hungary’s premier division last season.

Coach Raffaele Palladino conceded that the 34-year-old Spanish goalkeeper requires time to recover from a lengthy layoff in light of the goalkeeper’s unsatisfactory performance.

“He needs to adapt after working on his own for a year,” Fiorentina’s captain remarked. With his high level of professionalism, De Gea puts in a lot of time.

Although the former Manchester United star only made two saves in the contest, the Sofascore website nevertheless gave De Gea 5.9 points.