Club Brugge 1-1 Fiorentina (Aggregate: 3-4): the Italians once again reach the final of the Europa Conference League

Fiorentina reached back-to-back Europa Conference League finals thanks to a last-minute penalty that gave them a 4-3 aggregate victory over Club Brugge.

Maxim de Cuyper had drawn Club Brugge level in the tie, after Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2 in Florence.

But the Italians managed a 1-1 draw in Belgium that will allow them to face either Aston Villa or Olympiakos in the final.

Fiorentina will try to do better than in the Conference League last season, when they were defeated in the final by West Ham.

Brugge took the lead in the second leg thanks to left back De Cuyper, who found himself in the centre-forward position to deliver a quick cross from the left.

From then on, Fiorentina assumed control of the match despite the febrile home atmosphere at the Jan Breydel Stadium, and the action even had to be paused early in the second half because the volume of flares caused prevented the referee from I could see the sidelines.

The Serie A team hit the woodwork three times in Bruges. Christian Kouame hit the crossbar in the 35th minute with a powerful shot that bounced down and away with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stranded.

Fiorentina then hit the frame of the goal twice in two minutes of the second half: captain Cristiano Biraghi hit the crossbar with a left-footed free kick from 20 yards, before Kouame suffered his second stroke of bad luck with a headbutt

Their well-deserved place in the final was finally secured when Mechele caught Nzola with his knee as the Fiorentina substitute stooped to head home, Beltrán slotting his penalty into the bottom left corner.

Brugge almost forced extra time when Hans Vanaken’s low shot was saved after former Fulham defender Denis Odoi, who had already been substituted, was sent off from the bench after colliding with a Fiorentina player.