Fiorentina Vs Betis

Fiorentina are striving to reach their third consecutive UEFA Europa Conference League final, but they face the challenge of overturning a one-goal deficit against Real Betis in the semi-final second leg. The first leg in Seville saw Betis secure a 2-1 victory, with goals from Abde Ezzalzouli and Antony. Fiorentina managed to pull one back through captain Luca Ranieri, keeping their hopes alive.

Despite the setback, Fiorentina remain in contention to make a third straight final, having previously lost to West Ham United and Olympiacos in consecutive seasons. This term, after edging through qualifying, Fiorentina finished third in the new league phase, before eliminating Panathinaikos and Celje to set up a semi-final with in-form opponents from La Liga. Last week's loss made it five UEFA semi-final matches in which the Tuscan team have failed to beat sides from Spain, but that streak must end if they are to go through at Stadio Franchi.

Before losing to Betis, Raffaele Palladino's men had recovered from a wobble to post an unbeaten sequence of six league games in Serie A—but they have now been beaten twice in one week, following Sunday's 1-0 reverse against Roma. Though Moise Kean and Rolando Mandragora both came close, the Viola were ultimately unable to find the net, all but ending any top-four dreams and placing even more pressure on Thursday's contest.

While Fiorentina are battling against the odds to return to Europe, Real Betis have been resurgent in recent months, and they are still contending for a cherished Champions League place. Their fight to feature in UEFA's top tournament continued on Sunday, when they struck two late goals to beat Espanyol 2-1: Giovani Lo Celso equalised in the 85th minute, before Antony followed his stunning finish against Fiorentina by curling home a last-gasp winner.

With just one loss in their last 15 matches across all competitions, Betis sit sixth in La Liga, only one point outside the top five—and they also have at least half a foot in the Conference League decider. So, having watched the red side of Seville celebrate Europa League glory on countless occasions, Los Verdiblancos are desperate to finally reach their first European final.

After a modest 15th-placed finish in the league phase, Manuel Pellegrini's men defeated Gent in the knockout playoffs, before seeing off Vitoria Guimaraes and Jagiellonia Bialystok to get this far—but the job is not yet done. Though his team impressed back home at the Benito Villamarin, roared on by thousands of Andalucian fans, seeing their lead cut to one will cause Pellegrini some concern ahead of a high-stakes second leg.

The upcoming match at Stadio Artemio Franchi is poised to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to secure their place in the final. Fiorentina will rely on their home advantage and the support of their fans to overcome the deficit, while Real Betis will aim to maintain their lead and make history by reaching their first European final.