Florence, April 17 (LaPresse) – Fiorentina continues its European journey. Thanks to a 2-2 draw at the Franchi Stadium against Slovenian side Celje, Palladino’s team qualifies for the Conference League semifinals. It was a tougher match than expected, with Fiorentina going through due to the 2-1 win in the first leg in Slovenia. The game was played under persistent heavy rain at the Franchi.
The first half was fairly entertaining, with Fiorentina creating several chances before taking the lead in the 37th minute with a precise right-footed strike from Mandragora, set up by Pongracic. The visitors also had their moments, with De Gea making great saves on Seslar in the 24th minute and Delaurier-Chaubet in the 40th.
In the second half, Fiorentina complicated things by allowing Celje to equalize early in the 54th minute, with Matko sneaking past the defense and beating De Gea with a low right-footed shot into the corner. The match grew tense, and in the 65th minute the Slovenians went ahead 2-1 with a header from Nemanic.
Fortunately for Fiorentina and their fans, the fear didn't last long. In the 69th minute, as usual, Kean came to the rescue with a stunning curling right-footed shot into the far post from a tight angle, leveling the score at 2-2. The goal was confirmed only after a long VAR check to assess Kean’s position. In the 77th minute, captain Ranieri found what seemed to be the 3-2 in a scramble, but the referee and VAR disallowed it for offside. In the final minutes, another goal from Kean was also ruled out for offside. No matter — with the 2-2 draw, Fiorentina advances to the Conference League semifinals.