Fiorentina-Panathinaikos 3-1: quality and suffering, the Viola turn it around and fly to the quarter-finals
Great feat by Palladino's team that dominates the first half, then resists the pressure of the Greeks. Now, double challenge with the Slovenians of Celje who eliminated Lugano
Fiorentina celebrates the victory by going to celebrate under the Ferrovia curve (Photocronache Germogli)
Florence, 13 March 2025 – A night of suffering, but ultimately of joy for the Fiorentina who overturns the result of the first leg (3-2 for the Greeks) beats the Panathinaikos and enters the quarter-finals of the Conference League. Now, double challenge with the Slovenians of Celje who eliminated Lugano.
In the first half Fiorentina dominates, orchestrated by Fagioli and Mandragora: the Viola go ahead with the same Mandrake, at 12 and with a newfound Gudmundsson (24') and they have chances with Kean, Mandragora again and Gud. The 2-0 at half time is little compared to the amount of play and the chances of an aggressive and intense Fiorentina pushed by a warm and passionate crowd.
In the second half the Greeks come out and the tired Viola dropped too low, risking capitulating several times and conceding the goal that would reopen the match. In the 75th minute a great invention by Gosens served Kean controls and shoots to make it 3-0.
It seems done but in the 81st minute Ioannidis' penalty reopens the game and the Viola have to suffer until the 7th minute of injury time. Then it's just party time.
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After 7 minutes of injury time, the Viola can celebrate!
Out with Dodo, in with Moreno
Mladenovic sent off, Greeks down to 10
7 minutes of injury time! Zaniolo booked
Foul by Fagioli, penalty! Goal by Ioannidis
Adli and Zaniolo enter, Mandragora and Ranieri leave
Kean cautioned
Great invention by Gosens, ball to Kean who turns, shields the ball and scores! 3-0!
Swiderski and Pongracic booked
Viola crushed, Greeks come close to scoring the goal that would reopen the match
Comuzzo cautioned
Greeks counterattack 4 against 3, Gosens decisive in blocking the shot with a sure shot
Folorunsho and Beltran instead of Gud and Cataldi
As soon as he enters, Ioannidis runs away on the left, enters the Viola area, stopped in a corner
Ioannidis enters, Duricic exits
The second half has begun
Teams at half time, Viola ahead 2-0, but given the opportunities the score could have been wider.
Viola close to 3-0, great assist from Gud, Kean in front of Dragowski shoots with certainty, great save from the Polish goalkeeper
Great shot by Teté, ball just wide
Header just wide in the 35th minute
At 28' great free kick by Mandragora, Dragowski saves
Mladenovic cautioned
Personal action by the Italian, weak shot by Dragowski saved
Personal action by Gud who beats Dragowski at 23' also thanks to a deflection, delirium at the "Franchi"
Viola close to doubling their lead in the 16th minute, Dragowski saves
Mandragora from outside the area finds a great goal and it's the 12th minute
The Icelander tries, corner!
Gosens tries, ball wide
The match has begun
Fiorentina and Panathinaikos are on the field, we'll start soon!
Part "Canzone Viola" sung by the great Narciso Parigi
After the controversy of the first leg, this time Palladino relies on De Gea, Terracciano on the bench
It's raining heavily in Florence
Fiorentina on the field for warm-up
PANATHINAIKOS (4-4-2): Dragowski; Vagiannidis, Ingason, W. Arao, Mladenovic; Ounahi, Maksimovic, Siopis, Djuricic; Tete, Swiderski
FIORENTINA (3-5-2): De Gea;, Comuzzo, Pongracic, Ranieri; Dodo, Beans, Cataldi, Mandragora, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean.
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