May 19, (THEWILL) – Fiorentina staged a stunning comeback in the UEFA Europa Conference League semifinals, defeating Basel 3-1 in the dying seconds of extra time to advance to the final.
After suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg, the Viola needed a victory at St. Jakob-Park to secure a spot in the final. Goals from Giacomo Bonaventura and Nico Gonzalez, including a last-minute winner from Antonin Barak, sealed their place in the final against West Ham United.
Nikola Milenkovic returned from suspension for Fiorentina, while Basel opted to rest their players after a heavy defeat over the weekend. The match started with a dangerous counter-attack by Fiorentina, but Sofyan Amrabat’s foul resulted in a yellow card. Fiorentina showcased their aerial threat, with Gonzalez and Bonaventura both coming close with headers.
Gonzalez eventually broke the deadlock with another header from a Cristiano Biraghi corner, leveling the aggregate score at 2-2. Basel responded after the break, as Zeki Amdouni found the back of the net with a precise finish from a tight angle. However, Fiorentina remained resilient and regained the lead through Gonzalez, who pounced on a poorly cleared cross.
The match went into extra time, and Fiorentina continued to dominate, forcing saves from Basel’s goalkeeper. In the final moments, Barak secured the victory for Fiorentina, drilling in a close-range shot after chaos in the Basel defense. Basel will face Lugano on Sunday, while Fiorentina will take on Torino on Sunday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
