Lucas Beltran scored a late penalty as Fiorentina secured a 1-1 second-leg draw at Club Brugge on Wednesday to win its semifinal tie 4-3 on mixture and safe back-to-back appearances within the Europa Conference League last.
The Italians led 3-2 from the primary leg in Florence, however Hans Vanaken levelled the tie with an early opener for Belgian facet Brugge.
Fiorentina appeared the extra more likely to rating although, and after Christian Kouame twice struck the body of the objective, it was awarded a penalty when Brandon Mechele’s excessive boot caught the face of M’Bala Nzola and Beltran levelled on the night time with 5 minutes remaining.
Fiorentina, which misplaced to West Ham United within the Conference League last final season, now faces the winner of the second semifinal tie between Olympiakos and Aston Villa in Athens on Thursday. The Greek facet leads 4-2 from the primary leg.
Brugge had been hoping to succeed in their first European last in 46 years however have been second-best over each legs towards extra attack-minded opponents.
They squared the tie on mixture when Vanaken’s depraved in-swinging cross from the left had the beating of everybody, together with teammate Maxim De Cuyper and Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano.
Kouame’s thunderous shot from the sting of the field struck the underside of the crossbar and stayed out by inches, earlier than the unfortunate Ivorian hit the body of the objective once more, this time with a header.
Fiorentina acquired the possibility to attain the objective it deserved after Mechele’s carelessness, and Beltran offered the knockout blow to the hosts.
