FLORENCE (ITALPRESS) – Viola ahead, Greeks at home. Fiorentina beat Panathinaikos 3-1 and overturned their first leg defeat (2-3) to qualify for the Conference League quarterfinals, where between April 10 and 17 they will take on Slovenian side Celje.
It was a well-deserved success for Ranieri and his teammates who started off strong, scored two goals right away, suffered at the beginning of the second half, then found the goal of the momentary 3-0, and only had some anxiety in the 10 minutes following the penalty scored by Ionnaidis.
The first half is a genuine violet domination. In fact, net of a study start, Palladino’s men then have territorial dominance enjoying above all the excellent evening of Gudmundsson who acts as the link man between midfield and attack. It is, however, a left-footer from 25 yards by Mandragora that electrocutes Dragowski at 12′. Before the doubling again the lily number 8 warms the hands of the visiting goalkeeper. Then Fiorentina’s 2-0 with Gudmundsson making the most of an assist from Ranieri, who was extraordinary in recovering the ball in the Greek defensive three-quarter.
Dragowski kept the qualification open by saving several times, especially on Kean in the closing minutes of the first half. Disappointed by the opening 45′, coach Rui Bravo already at 57′ inserted a second forward, namely Ionnaidis, and the latter himself, moments after his entrance, had his shot on goal saved by Comuzzo. Palladino’s countermove is the Folorunsho-Beltran double change for Cataldi-Gudmundsson.
Closing out the contest was Moise Kean with 15′ to go with a goal that made the Franchi explode. Panathinaikos, however, did not give up and with 10′ to go Ioannaidis on a penalty kick signed the 3-1 score. The referee, the uncertain Scotsman Beaton, awarded seven minutes of added time, in which among other things the guests remained in ten due to the expulsion of Mladenovic, but at the triple final whistle the purple fans could exult, Fiorentina flew to the Conference League quarterfinals
-Photo Ipa/Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
