In Florence, the match started in heavy rain and the home team took the lead in the 5th minute. Sottil swept the far gallows with a beautiful shot. However, the Italian team did not enjoy the lead for long. The experienced English referee Oliver, after a long consultation with the video referee, ordered a penalty kick for the hand of the home captain Biraghi. Vanaken converted the penalty, the captain scored his 99th goal for Bruges and his fifth in the EKL season.
The goals continued to fall. Even before the break, Belotti returned the lead to the “Violets”. After an hour of the game, the home side went to the power play, Onyedika earned two yellow cards in the space of three minutes and was sent off. Immediately, however, Thiago equalized and Fiorentina had to be happy that substitute Nzola decided their victory after three minutes on the pitch in the set time. Barák also participated in the goal event, who came together with the author of the decisive hit.
A big surprise was born in the second game. The fourth Premier League team Aston Villa was not enough for Olympiakos, which is also fourth in the Greek league. The hero of the match was Moroccan Kaabí, who scored three goals. Thanks to the hat-trick, he moved to the top of the competition’s scorers table, he now has eight goals like Zahaví from Tel Aviv.
The favorite could have at least reduced it in the end, but Luiz did not convert the penalty. The Brazilian midfielder’s shot just licked the left post from the perspective of Tzolakis, who picked the right side. Thus, Piraeus has a two-goal advantage before the home rematch and is closer to the final of the Conference League, which will be hosted by Athens, Greece.
| The opening match of the semi-finals of the European Conference League: |
|---|
| Aston Villa – Olympiakos Piraeus 2:4 (1:2) |
| Goals: 45.+1 Watkins, 52. Diaby – 16., 29. and 56. from pen. Kaabi, 67. Hezze. Referee: Guida – Meli, Peretti – Valeri (video, all It.). ŽK: Diaby – Rodinei. |
| Aston Villa: Olsen – Cash, Lenglet, Konsa, Digne – Rogers (74. Durán), McGinn, Luiz, Diaby (86. Iroegbunam) – Watkins, Bailey (86. Zaniolo). Coach: Emery. |
| Piraeus: Tzolakis – Rodinei, Retsos, Carmo, Ortega (46. Richards) – Hezze, Iborra, Chiquinho – Podence (70. Horta), Fortunis – Kaabí. Coach: Mendilibar. |
| Fiorentina – Club Brugge 3:2 (2:1) |
| Goals: 5. Sottil, 37. Belotti, 90.+1 Nzola – 17. Vanaken from pen., 63. Thiago. Referees: Oliver – Burt, Cook – Kavanagh (video, all English). ŽK: González, Martínez – Onyedika, Jackers. CK: 61. Onyedika. Spectators: 23,703. |
| Fiorentina: Terracciano – Dos Santos, Martínez, Ranieri, Biraghi – Melo (70. López), Bonaventura (88. Barák) – González, Beltrán (70. Ikoné), Sottil (52. Kouamé) – Belotti (88. Nzola). Coach: Italiano. |
| Bruges: Jackers – Sabbe (79. Vetlesen), Spileers (90+3. Ordonez), Mechele, Meijer – Skoráš (66. Nielsen), Odoi (90+3. Balanta), Onyedika, Jutglá – Vanaken, Thiago. Coach: Hayen. |
| EL semi-finals |
Tags: Fiorentina Bruges Overcomer Pilsen Fiorentina won semifinal Conference League
