Fiorentina punctures Belgian dream and is now aiming for gold after silver – Voetbal International

Club Brugge failed on Wednesday to become the first Belgian team since 1993 to play a European final. The blue and black came awfully close against Fiorentina, but Lucas Beltrán shot the Italians from eleven meters to the Conference League final in Athens. After losing the final battle last year, the purple shirts now want to turn silver into gold.

This semi-final was moved to Wednesday by order of the Bruges authorities, as there is the Holy Blood Procession in Bruges on Ascension Day, like every year, and which attracts many people to the city. This appetizer of the European evening was full of tension from the first revolutions of the ball. Rolando Mandragora missed the first chance, after which Maxim De Cuyper or Hans Vanaken set the Jan Breydel Stadium on fire.

Vanaken provided the cross, in any case, and whether De Cuyper touched the ball is food for the UEFA scientists. It didn’t bother anyone else in the stadium as the ball flew into the goal. With that 1-0, Nicky Hayen’s team had erased last week’s small defeat in Stadio Artemio Franchi. In the euphoria, the Flemish forgot to defend for a moment, but Nicolás González came across Simon Mignolet. The rebound fell wide.

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After half an hour, Club escaped again. Christian Kouamé, not a favorite in West Flanders due to his Anderlecht past, shot at the crossbar, Mignolet could only watch. For Club, which has to miss Bjorn Meijer for the time being, Michal Skoras had a good chance to make it 2-0. Club Brugge also started quite well in the second half, but Fiorentina quickly took control. Club Brugge had bought the angel on the aluminum from Borussia Dortmund.

Cristiano Biraghi shot a free kick onto the crossbar, just two minutes later Kouamé hit the post. It didn’t last: Brandon Mechele gave away a penalty. Beltrán got behind the ball and shot hard and clean into the corner, although Mignolet was still very close to it. The Belgian formation could not overcome that disappointment, six minutes before the end of regular playing time. Vanaken did come close in injury time, goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano with an ultimate reflex smashing the Bruges hope to pieces.

This leaves Club Brugge with the title battle in Belgium. Fiorentina goes to the final in Greece, on Thursday evening it will become clear who the opponent will be: Olympiakos Piraeus or Aston Villa. The match is on Wednesday May 29, lost last year La Viola in Prague from West Ham United.

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