With Robin Gosens in the starting line-up, AC Fiorentina just managed to avoid an embarrassment in extra time in the Conference League.
The Italian first division team lost their 3-0 lead from the first leg against Jagiellonia Bialystok 2:4 (0:3, 0:2) in regular time, but saved themselves into the round of 16 with two late goals. The 24-time German national player Gosens was on the pitch for 120 minutes.
In the league, Florence is fighting against relegation, and in the cup the traditional club lost in the round of 16. In the Conference League, Fiorentina reached the final in 2023 and 2024 – and can still hope for the final in Leipzig (May 27th) this year.
But there was almost the next setback in a largely messed up season. 19-year-old Bartosz Mazurek from the leaders of the Polish league equalized the first leg result with a hat-trick (23rd/45th+3/49th). Nicolo Fagioli (107th) and an own goal from Taras Romanczuk (114th) calmed the Tifosi.
Jesus Imaz (118′) once again brought excitement into the game, which ended a little later with the yellow-red card for Bialystok’s Bernardo Vital (120′) and the hosts’ fortunate progression.
Coach Thorsten Fink is also one round further on with Samsunspor. After the 1-0 win in the first leg, the Turks gave KF Shkendija from North Macedonia no chance at 4-0 (0-0). Fink, former coach at Hamburger SV, has only been in charge of the club from the Black Sea coast for a few days. He succeeded the dismissed Thomas Reis.
