Conference League, Fiorentina-Twente 2-1: Gonzalez, Cabral and Cerny

Conference League playoff first leg: viola unleashed in the first half, Nico Gonzalez and Cabral scored, Cerny’s goal in the second half

Gonzalez opens, Cabral doubles: Fiorentina trims two goals against Twente and comes out victorious from the first European match of the Commisso era. The challenge of the Franks, valid for the first leg of the Conference League playoffs, ends 2-1 for the Italian team, dragged by the plays of Biraghi and Sottil, authors of the decisive assists against the Dutch.

PURPLE TURNOVER

Compared to the match against Cremonese, the Tuscans change six elevenths of the starting line-up. Between the posts is Terracciano, in defense Venuti and Nastasic take the place of Benassi and Quarta. Duncan replaces Bonaventura alongside Amrabat and Maleh, forward there is the trident made up of Gonzalez, Cabral and the confirmed Sottil. Twente takes the field with a 4-2-3-1, with the playmaker Vlap – who scored two goals in the penultimate qualifying round – behind the striker Van Wolfswinkel.

DOUBLE ADVANTAGE

A minute after the kick-off, Fiorentina is already 1-0. Sottil serves Biraghi who crosses for Nico Gonzalez, the Argentine jumps higher than all and finds the winning frame. At 15 ‘he warms up the Cabral engine, which misses the doubling with a header. A quarter of an hour passes and it is the Brazilian who stamps the 2-0: Biraghi verticalizes for Sottil who goes down on the left wing, enters the area and offers the center forward a ball that is only to be pushed into the net. Before the break, Vlap lights up, dangerous on a free kick, and Cabral touches the trio on the development of a corner kick.

WINNING MOVE

In the second half, Italiano inserts Mandragora and Ikone first, then Jovic, Dodò and Kouame. The most appropriate change, however, is that of Twente, which lines up Cerny in place of Rots. At 65 ‘the Czech escapes the defense on the edge of the offside and overtakes Terracciano. Thus the hopes of the nearly 2,500 Dutchmen who arrived in Florence following the team are rekindled. The return match, crucial for access to the group stage, is scheduled for next Thursday in the Netherlands.

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