UECL: Fiorentina Edge Rakow in UECL Last 16 Thriller
Fiorentina beat Rakow Czestochowa 2-1 in UEFA Conference League last 16 first leg, with Albert Gudmundsson scoring a late penalty. Jonatan Brunes and Cher Ndour scored for La Viola, who face Poland's Rakow next week.
Paolo Vanoli’s men were gifted an opportunity to take a lead into the second leg in Poland...
Fiorentina breathed a sigh of relief as they fought back to beat Rakow Czestochowa 2-1, keeping their UEFA Conference League dreams alive. The visitors had an early chance, with Tomasz Pienko's shot saved by Oliver Christensen at the near post.
Rakow took the lead through Luka Ilic's 9th-minute strike, but Fiorentina rallied.
Rakow struggled to trouble the hosts in the first half, with Oliwier Zych making a crucial save on Robin Gosen's flick. The German international also headed straight at the goalkeeper, limiting Rakow's threats.
Aston Villa loanee Jacopo Fazzini had the best chance, volleying over from 12 yards after a great run and cross by Fabiano Parisi. Parisi himself tested Zych with a long-range shot in stoppage time.
Jonatan Brunes' early restart chance went awry as he skewed his shot wide. But La Viola weren't left waiting long for redemption – Brunes pounced on a Patryk Makuch flick-on, burying it past Christensen on the hour mark.
The hosts were level, and momentum swung Fiorentina's way.
Fiorentina bounced back, leveling in style thanks to Cher Ndour's thumping finish into the top corner. The French midfielder's emphatic goal came just two minutes after Parisi's late first-half attempt.
Roberto Piccoli's solo effort almost sealed it, but his shot crashed off the crossbar after a great robbery from a Rakow defender. The hosts were pushing for more before halftime.
A big win on home soil for Fiorentina 👊#UECL pic.twitter.com/rwS1zLIdTz
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) March 12, 2026
Paolo Vanoli’s men were gifted an opportunity to take a lead into the second leg in Poland next week when Michael Ameyaw clearly handled Dodo’s cross, but questions remained as to whether the offence was outside the area.
However, VAR confirmed the Rakow defender was just inside the box, meaning that Albert Gudmundsson was able to coolly roll his penalty into the bottom corner to secure the narrowest of first-leg advantages for La Viola.
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