Europa Conference League - Semi-final - 2nd Leg
Club BrugesClub Bruges1FiorentinaFiorentina1

Club Bruges 1-1 Fiorentina (Agg: 3-4): Italians reach Europa Conference League final again

By Emma SmithBBC Sport
Maxim De Cuyper
Maxim de Cuyper scored his second Conference League goal of the season to put Club Bruges ahead in the second leg

Fiorentina celebrated reaching back-to-back Europa Conference League finals after a late penalty gave them a 4-3 aggregate win over Club Bruges.

Lucas Beltran tucked home an 85th-minute spot-kick after Brandon Mechele was judged to have fouled M'Bala Nzola.

Maxim de Cuyper had pulled Club Bruges level in the tie, after Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2 in Florence.

But the Italians earned a 1-1 draw in Belgium which sees them through to face Aston Villa or Olympiakos in the final.

Fiorentina will be aiming to go one better than in last season's Conference League, when they were beaten in the final by West Ham.

Bruges went ahead in the semi-final second leg through left-back De Cuyper, who found himself in the centre-forward position to flick home a quick in-swinging cross from the left.

Fiorentina thereafter assumed control of the game despite a feverish home atmosphere at Jan Breydel Stadium, with the action even having to be paused early in the second half as the volume of flares set off meant the referee could not see the sidelines.

The Serie A side hit the woodwork three times in Bruges. Christian Kouame rattled the crossbar in the 35th minute with a powerful snap shot which bounced down and away with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stranded.

Fiorentina then hit the frame of the goal twice in two second-half minutes - captain Cristiano Biraghi struck the bar with a left-footed free-kick from 20 yards, before Kouame suffered his second stroke of misfortune with a header.

Their deserved place in the final was eventually secured when Mechele caught Nzola with his knee as the Fiorentina substitute stooped for a header, Beltran tucking his penalty into the bottom left corner.

Bruges nearly forced extra time as Hans Vanaken's late low shot was saved, after former Fulham defender Denis Odoi - who had already been substituted - was sent off from the bench after clashing with a Fiorentina player.

Line-ups

Club Bruges

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 22Mignolet
  • 64Sabbe
  • 4OrdóñezBooked at 43mins
  • 44MecheleBooked at 83mins
  • 55De Cuyper
  • 10VetlesenBooked at 62minsSubstituted forZinckernagelat 70'minutes
  • 6OdoiBooked at 90minsSubstituted forNusaat 86'minutes
  • 8SkórasSubstituted forNielsenat 86'minutes
  • 20VanakenBooked at 90mins
  • 9Jutglà
  • 99Nascimento RodriguesBooked at 52mins

Substitutes

  • 21Bursik
  • 27Nielsen
  • 29Jackers
  • 32Nusa
  • 39Balanta
  • 58Spileers
  • 62Homma
  • 65Seys
  • 68Talbi
  • 77Zinckernagel

Fiorentina

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Terracciano
  • 2Cordeiro Dos SantosBooked at 90mins
  • 4MilenkovicBooked at 88mins
  • 28Martínez
  • 3Biraghi
  • 9BeltránSubstituted forRanieriat 90'minutes
  • 6ArthurSubstituted forDuncanat 71'minutes
  • 38Mandragora
  • 10González
  • 20BelottiSubstituted forNzolaat 70'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 99Kouamé

Substitutes

  • 8Lopez
  • 11Ikoné
  • 16Ranieri
  • 18Nzola
  • 19Infantino
  • 22Faraoni
  • 32Duncan
  • 33Kayode
  • 37Comuzzo
  • 53Christensen
  • 65Parisi
  • 72Barák
Referee:
Halil Umut Meler
Attendance:
26,936

Match Stats

Home TeamClub BrugesAway TeamFiorentina
Possession
Home53%
Away47%
Shots
Home4
Away21
Shots on Target
Home2
Away2
Corners
Home3
Away7
Fouls
Home12
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Club Brugge 1, Fiorentina 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Club Brugge 1, Fiorentina 1.

  3. Post update

    Antonio Nusa (Club Brugge) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Nicolás González (Fiorentina).

  5. Booking

    M'Bala Nzola (Fiorentina) is shown the yellow card.

  6. Post update

    Philip Zinckernagel (Club Brugge) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina).

  8. Booking

    Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge) is shown the yellow card.

  9. Post update

    Offside, Club Brugge. Thiago is caught offside.

  10. Post update

    Attempt missed. Casper Nielsen (Club Brugge) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.

  11. Post update

    Corner, Club Brugge. Conceded by Pietro Terracciano.

  12. Post update

    Attempt saved. Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

  13. Dismissal

    Second yellow card to Denis Odoi (Club Brugge).

  14. Booking

    Dodô (Fiorentina) is shown the yellow card.

  15. Post update

    Attempt missed. M'Bala Nzola (Fiorentina) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Christian Kouamé.

  16. Post update

    Casper Nielsen (Club Brugge) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Christian Kouamé (Fiorentina).

  18. Post update

    Foul by Casper Nielsen (Club Brugge).

  19. Post update

    Alfred Duncan (Fiorentina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Fiorentina. Luca Ranieri replaces Lucas Beltrán.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Lille6420102814
2Slovan Bratislava631287110
3Olimpija Ljubljana620449-56
4KÍ Klaksvík611459-44

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Maccabi Tel-Aviv6501149515
2KAA Gent6411167913
3Zorya Luhansk62131011-17
4Breidablik6006518-130

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Viktoria Plzen660091818
2Dinamo Zagreb630310559
3Astana6114413-94
4Ballkani611437-44

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Club Bruges65101531216
2Bodø/Glimt6312118310
3Besiktas6114714-74
4Lugano6114614-84

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Aston Villa6411127513
2Legia Warsaw6402106412
3AZ Alkmaar6204712-56
4Zrinjski Mostar6114610-44

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Fiorentina6330146812
2Ferencvárosi TC624096310
3KRC Genk62318539
4FK Cukaricki6006216-140

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1PAOK Salonika65101610616
2Frankfurt630311749
3Aberdeen6132101006
4HJK6024717-102

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Fenerbahçe64021311212
2Ludogorets64021111012
3FC Nordsjælland63121771010
4Spartak Trnava6015315-121
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