Fiorentina advanced to its second straight Conference League final

Fiorentina qualified to play its second consecutive Conference League final after drawing against Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadion (1-1) and made good on the victory achieved in the first leg at Artemio Franchi (3-2).

Fiorentina’s rivals will win the other semi-final, which will be decided tomorrow José Luis Mendilibar’s Olympiacos and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa after the Greeks won the first leg 2-4 in Birmingham

De Cuyper equalized the tie

Next May 29, at the AEK Arena in La Fiorentina, directed by Vincenzo Italiano, will try to make up for the lost final in 2023 against West Ham in Prague (1-2).

Bruges, who eliminated Osasuna in the preliminary phase playoffs, came out with the former Barça player Ferran Jutglà on the attack and leveled the tie in the 20th minute with a goal from Maxime De Cuyper, who barely caught a cross from the captain’s left with his head Hans Vanaken.

Fiore’s first of three shots hit the post

Fiorentina reacted very well to some arrivals from their attackers. The first of them is very clear since the goal Simon Mignolet covered the end of Nicolas Gonzalez in a one-on-one match and, after the rebound, the shot Lucas Beltran He came out licking the pole.

In a great first part with ideas and visits to both places, Christian Kouame He made it 0-1 with a shot from the edge of the area that bounced off the crossbar and the ball bounced off the same line. This is the first time the posts have failed Fiore in the game.

Beltrán decided on a penalty

The second half was one of total dominance by the Italians, who played at a good level, although they again hit the woodwork with a free-kick. Cristiano Biraghi returned the crossbar and a Kouamé header hit the post.

Finally, the siege of Fiore had its reward only when the central Brandon Mechele kneed him in the face M’bala Nzola before it ends. Beltrán converted the penalty in the 85th minute, although the Tuscans still suffered in extra time in Bruges’ desperate attempt.

But the goal Pietro Terracciano He secured qualification by deflecting a fierce Vanaken shot and prevented the Belgians from reaching their first European final in 46 years.

WITCHES CLUB

11

FIORENTINA

Club Bruges: Mignolet; Mechele, Ordóñez, Odoi (Nusa, d.86); Sabbe, Vanaken, Vetlesen (Zinskernagel, m.70), De Cuyper; Jutglá, Thiago and Skoras (Nielsen, m.86).

Fiorentina: Terracciano; Dodò, Martinez Quarta, Milenkovic, Biraghi; Madragora, Arthur (Duncan, m.71), Beltrán (Ranieri, m.90); Nico Gonzalez, Kouamé and Belotti (Nzola, m.70).

Goals: 1-0, m.20: Vanaken; 1-1, m.85: Beltrán.

Referee: Halil Umut Meler (TUR). He showed a yellow card to Ordoñez (m.43), Thiago (m.52), Vetlesen (m.62), Odoi (m.72, m.94), Mechele (m.83) of Bruges; and Milenkovic (m.88), Beltrán (m.90), Dodo (m.94), Nzola (m.96), Italiano (coach, m.97) on behalf of Fiorentina. Odoi sent off for double yellow card (m.94)

Incidents: match corresponding to the second leg of the Conference League semi-finals, played at the Jan Breydel stadium in (Bruges).

see the match sheet