Real Betis claimed a narrow 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final, but Luca Ranieri’s late goal gives the Viola hope heading into the return leg in Florence.
WATCH: Real Betis 2-1 Fiorentina Conference League Highlights
Abde Ezzalzouli opened the scoring early for Betis, finishing emphatically off the underside of the bar after Cedric Bakambu had muscled his way down the right and pulled back from the byline. Isco came close to doubling the lead soon after, curling just wide after pouncing on a misplaced pass.
Fiorentina began to grow into the game and nearly equalised when Rolando Mandragora nodded a Robin Gosens cross inches wide. Danilo Cataldi then suffered a muscular injury and was replaced by Yacine Adli before the break. Betis had a golden opportunity to add a second just before half-time, but Marc Bartra fired over after a defensive mix-up on a corner.
Moise Kean was introduced at the break, but it was David De Gea who made the next decisive contribution, producing a brilliant one-handed save to deny Bartra’s header from an Isco free kick. Fran Vietes was also sharp in the Betis goal, racing out to stop Kean as Fiorentina pressed for an equaliser.
Instead, the hosts doubled their lead on the hour. Antony’s initial effort was blocked by Ranieri, but the rebound fell kindly for the winger, who smashed a half-volley into the roof of the net to make it 2-0. Pablo Fornals could have added a third moments later but struck straight at De Gea.
Fiorentina got their reward late on when Gosens controlled a ball over the top and cut back for Ranieri, who lashed in from 12 yards. Gosens nearly found a dramatic equaliser too, with a glancing header that grazed the far post. Bartra had another header go just wide, while late controversy saw Michael Folorunsho escape punishment for a dangerous tackle on Giovanni Lo Celso, with VAR allowing play to continue.
The second leg takes place at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on May 8, where Fiorentina will aim to overturn the deficit and reach a third straight Conference League final.
