Club Brugge 1-1 Fiorentina: Match report and highlights

Pre-match

Nicky Hayen switched things up to a very fluid shape that alternated between a back 3 and a back 4. He also brought GK Simon Mignolet back into the XI. Vincenzo Italiano, on the other hand, made 10 changes from the team that lost to Hellas Verona at the weekend, bringing all his regular starters back in.

Let’s also give credit to the home fans for some pretty good pre-match choreography.

First half

Fiorentina’s plan was obviously to sit deep and soak up pressure for 90 minutes, slowing things down and holding on like an Italian side circa 1993. Club Brugge kept them pinned in their own half for most of the first 20 minutes and finally got the breakthrough from a poor Pietro Terracciano punt. The Blauw-Zwart won it high, got Hans Vanaken down the left, and his cross reached Maxim De Cuyper, who got the slightest glancing touch with his noggin to take it past Terracciano, although Vanaken’s cross might’ve snuck by even without it. It felt like the exact thing you’d expect from this team.

Fiorentina responded spectacularly. Arthur played Nico González clean through for a 1-v-1 but Mignolet saved the number 10’s unimpressive effort and Lucas Beltrán’s follow-up was deflected wide of the empty net. Christian Kouamé and Andrea Belotti both had chances shortly after, but it was the Ivorian who was millimeters from breaking the deadlock with a brilliant strike that smashed off the bottom of the bar and bounced on the line without quite crossing it. At the other end, a Nikola Milenković slip set Igor Thiago clear to square for Michał Skóraś, but Dodô intervened to prevent a tap in. The half was, in short, pretty even, with Fiorentina abandoned by fortune. You know, the usual.

Second half

Flare smoke prevented the start of the second half and the Viola forgot to show up for a moment after the restart, allowing a couple of chances before finding a rhythm again and dominating. Brugge was eventually pinned back as wave after wave of Fiorentina attacks overwhelmed them. Biraghi stung the crossbar with a free kick and Kouamé was denied by the post, leaving the traveling fans wondering what eldritch god had cursed them as chance after chance went unfulfilled in increasingly unlikely fashion. Finally, though, it was M’Bala Nzola who proved decisive, winning a (pretty soft) penalty that Lucas Beltrán converted to restore the aggregate lead.

A jubilant Fiorentina tried to close up shop and had a couple of decent chances to kill the game off on the break, but it was Vanaken who picked off a late Dodô throw-in and motored in, squeezing one through a thicket of legs and forcing Terracciano to make a very good save. Igor Thiago was ruled offside on the follow-up and that was pretty much that, aside from some ill-tempered shoving.

Full time

Goals: De Cuyper 20’ (ass. Vanaken); Beltrán PK 85’

Cards: Ordoñez 43’, Igor Thiago 52’, Vetlesen 62’, Odoi 72’ 90’+4, Mechele 82’; Milenković 88’, Dodô 90’+4, Italiano 90’+5, Nzola 90’+6

Stats

What’s next

Fiorentina fans will already be booking flights to Athens for the final in 3 weeks. Mark it on your calendar: 29 May 2024 is when the boys will make a second attempt to lift the Conference League trophy. The opponent will be Olypiacos (led by Stevan Jovetić, of all people) or Aston Villa; at the time of publication, the Greeks held a 0-2 advantage ahead of tomorrow’s second leg.

Fiorentina has just 5 games left: the Conference League final and 3 in Serie A. Next up is a Monday clash with Monza, with a trip to Napoli and the finale against Cagliari coming afterwards. The game at Atalanta that was postponed after Joe Barone’s hospitalization still hasn’t been scheduled as the league is likely hoping to avoid playing it entirely if it doesn’t impact the standings.

Between that one and the Partenopei, though, Fiorentina could yet qualify for Europe next year. Currently sitting 9th with 50 points—just 1 back of Napoli and with a game in hand—even another failure in the Conference League final doesn’t preclude a return to that competition next year, as Italy has 8 European places right now. The end of the season is set up for maximum chaos and maximum stress. For now, though, I’ll leave you with the closing lines of Martin McDonagh’s seminal 2008 film In Bruges.