Conference League | Semi-Finals | 2nd Leg

May 8, 2025 at 8pm UK

Stadio Artemio Franchi

Fiorentina vs Real Betis

(agg: 1-2)

Match preview

Trailing after six minutes and two goals down just after the hour mark, Fiorentina fought back to some extent at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, but ultimately lost the away leg of their latest Conference League semi-final 2-1.

After Abde Ezzalzouli and Antony had given Real Betis the lead, Robin Gosens found Viola captain Luca Ranieri for a tap-in to keep the Italians within striking distance of their Spanish opponents.

Despite the defeat, they remain in contention for a third successive final, having previously lost to West Ham United and Olympiacos in successive seasons.

This season, after qualifying, Fiorentina finished third in the new league phase before eliminating Panathinaikos and Celje to set up a semi-final with in-form La Liga opponents.

Last week's defeat made it five UEFA semi-final matches in which the Tuscans have not beaten a Spanish side, a run they will need to end if they are to progress to the Stadio Franchi.

Prior to the Betis defeat, Raffaele Palladino's men had bounced back from a poor start to go on a six-match unbeaten run in Serie A, but they have now lost twice in the space of a week after Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Roma.

Although Moise Kean and Rolando Mandragora both went close, the Viola were unable to find the back of the net, effectively ending their top-four dreams and piling the pressure on ahead of Thursday's clash.

While Fiorentina battle against the odds to return to Europe, Real Betis have enjoyed a resurgence in recent months and are still challenging for a coveted Champions League spot.

Their fight for a place in UEFA's elite competition continued on Sunday when they scored two late goals to beat Espanyol 2-1: Giovani Lo Celso equalised in the 85th minute before Antony followed up his stunning finish against Fiorentina with a last-gasp winner.

With just one defeat in their last 15 games in all competitions, Betis sit sixth in La Liga, just one point outside the top five, and have at least one foot in the Conference decider.

Having watched the Reds celebrate Europa League glory on countless occasions, Los Verdiblancos are desperate to reach their first European final.

After a modest 15th-place finish in the league, Manuel Pellegrini's men defeated Gent in the knockout phase before seeing off Vitoria Guimaraes and Jagiellonia Bialystok to reach this stage, but the job is not yet done.

Although his side impressed at home in front of thousands of Andalusian fans at the Benito Villamarin, the fact that their lead has been whittled down to just one goal will give Pellegrini some cause for concern ahead of the high-stakes return leg.

Recent Performance

Fiorentina Conference League form:DLWWDL

Fiorentina form (all competitions):DDWWLL

Real Betis Conference League form:LDWWDW

Real Betis form (all competitions):LDWWWW

Team News

As usual, Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino has rotated his squad between Conference fixtures, most notably bringing back top scorer Moise Kean and replacing suspended captain Luca Ranieri with Pablo Mari for Sunday's clash with Roma.

The latter is ineligible for Europe after being left off the Viola's UEFA squad list, so Ranieri should return to his back three.

Nicolo Zaniolo partnered Kean in Rome - where he is no longer a fan favourite - before being sent off at the final whistle, but either Albert Gudmundsson or Lucas Beltran will join the Italian striker up front on Thursday night.

First-choice right-back Dodo has fully recovered from appendicitis and could even start, leaving Danilo Cataldi as Palladino's only doubt after the former Lazio midfielder suffered a thigh injury in last week's first leg.

Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini could recall Ezzalzouli to the Real Betis XI after the Moroccan winger was surprisingly preferred to Jesus Rodriguez in the first leg and repaid his manager's faith.

Cedric Bakambu and Isco are also battling for places in the final third, where Antony is sure to start: following the weekend's win over Espanyol, Isco has 11 goals and eight assists to his name, while Antony has seven goals and four assists since his mid-season arrival from Manchester United.

The visitors will again be without Chimy Avila, Marc Roca and Diego Llorente through injury.

Possible starting lineup

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Pongracic, Comuzzo, Ranieri; Dodo, Fagioli, Adli, Mandragora, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean

Real Betis possible starting lineup:

Adrian; Ruibal, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez; Cardoso, Fornals; Antony, Isco, Ezzalzouli; Bakambu