May 11, (THEWILL) – Fiorentina face a daunting task ahead as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against FC Basel in the Europa Conference League semi-final.
The Viola, who had previously enjoyed an impressive nine-game winning streak in the competition, had their momentum halted by Lech Poznan in the previous round.
Despite a few early chances for both teams, it was Fiorentina, who broke the deadlock. A Cristiano Biraghi corner found its way to Lucas Martinez-Quarta, who headed the ball down for Arthur Cabral to bundle it over the line from close range. Cabral, showing respect to his former club, refrained from celebrating the goal.
Basel responded with determination and managed to equalise when Andy Diouf embarked on a solo run from midfield, deceiving a cluster of defenders before cleverly finishing at the near bottom corner. The warning signs were evident, but Fiorentina failed to heed them.
In stoppage time, a floated free kick reached the back post and was knocked down by Males, allowing Zeki Amdouni to fire home from 10 yards, giving Basel’s the edge in the semis. Fiorentina will face Udinese in their next fixture in the Serie A, while Basel will take on St Gallen in the Super League.
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.
