(ANSA) – FLORENCE, MAR 14 – Fiorentina, runners-up of the tournament in the 2022-23 season, drew 1-1 at home against Maccabi Haifa and qualified for the quarterfinals of the third edition of the Conference League.
The Czech Antonin Barak, who had sealed the goal of the agonizing 4-3 victory in the first leg, opened the scoring in the 59th minute for Fiorentina, while Anan Khalaili (88′) equalized for Maccabi Haifa.
Fiorentina qualified for the quarterfinals with Aston Villa, Viktoria Plzen, Brugge, Fenerbahce, PAOK Thessaloniki, Lille and Olympiakos.
The “violet” team, which lost last year’s final against West Ham, fielded the Argentines Lucas Martínez Quarta and Nicolás González, whose compatriot Lucas Beltrán entered in the 81st minute, eleven minutes after the Brazilian Dodó.
“There was a little fear of making a mistake, but what matters is that we are in the quarterfinals again. We managed to take advantage of the first leg victory,” said Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano.
“We were able to avoid the goal conceded, the rival only kicked the goal once,” added the Italian coach, who had to follow the game from a box because he was suspended.
Asked about the quarterfinals, Italiano chose caution: “we must take one step at a time, having passed the round is an important achievement, but I have the feeling that the other seven teams in the draw will be of value,” he estimated.
“There are not many teams that pursue three objectives and can dream of reaching the bottom. From tomorrow we will start thinking about the match in Bergamo, but the important thing was to get through to the round,” Italiano concluded.
Indeed, Fiorentina, which is in eighth place in Serie A, will play in the semifinals of the Italian Cup (it lost the final of the last edition with Inter) and hopes to meet its rival in the Conference League, in whose definition of the 2022 season -23 lost to West Ham.
At the end of the match, the Maccabi Haifa players returned from the tunnel to the playing field after hearing offensive chants from the “tifosi” located on the Curva Fiesole of the Artemio Franchi stadium.
Private security agents surrounded the Maccabi Haifa players and a few minutes later convinced them to go to the locker rooms, while Palestinian flags were seen at the Fiesole Curve.
“There were some problems between our security and the stadium security, but then everything was resolved,” Maccabi Haifa coach Mesaye Degu clarified about the incident at the end of the match.
Parties.
ROUNDTRIP.
Dinamo Zagreb (Cro)-PAOK (Gre) 2-0 1-5.
Maccabi Haifa (Isr)-Fiorentina (Ita) 3-4 1-1.
Union Saint-Gilloise (Bel)-Fenerbahce (Tur) 0-3 1-0.
Ajax (Hol)-Aston Villa (Ing) 0-0 0-4.
Molde (Nor)-Brujas (Bél) 2-1 0-3.
Olympiakos (Gre)-Maccabi Tel Aviv (Isr) 1-4 6-1
.
Sturm Graz (Aus)-Lille (Fra) 0-3 1-1.
Servette (Sui)-Viktoria Pilsen (Rep.Che) 0-0 0-0 (1-3).
They qualified by winning 2-0 in extra time. (ANSA).