Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2 at Stadio Artemio Franchi, but they had a little help from a Brugge red card. If they can hold or improve on their one-goal lead, they'll move on to face either Aston Villa or Olympiacos in the final.
The match in Florence was a back-and-forth affair, with Fiorentina taking the lead twice thanks to a long-range effort by Riccardo Sottil and a goal from Andrea Belotti. Brugge managed to level the score twice, with Hans Vanaken converting a penalty and Igor Thiago scoring his fifth goal of the competition.
Thiago's equalizer came just two minutes after Raphael Onyedika was sent off for a reckless tackle while already on a yellow card. Despite being a man down, Brugge held on, but Fiorentina broke through in added time with a goal from M'Bala Nzola. It was a tough loss for Brugge, but considering they played the entire second half with 10 men, they could take some comfort in the narrow margin and their ability to hang in there.
Club Brugge has a rich European history, having reached the European Cup final in 1978 and the UEFA Cup final in 1976, though they lost both to Liverpool. This season, they're gunning for glory in the Jupiler Pro League, having recently beaten Antwerp 2-1, their sixth win in a row. This streak has kept them on top of the league's Champions' Play-offs group, two points ahead of the pack.
Since taking over two months ago, interim coach Nicky Hayen has guided Brugge to eight wins out of ten games. The team is on a hot streak, especially at home, where they've won their last six games, scoring 17 goals while conceding only two. This is not great news for a Fiorentina side that had a rough weekend, losing 2-1 to Hellas Verona in Serie A. This was their second consecutive road loss, coming off the back of a 4-1 thrashing by Atalanta in the Coppa Italia.
Fiorentina's current Serie A position could still earn them a spot in next year's Europa Conference League, thanks to their UEFA coefficient. However, winning this season's competition is their best shot at securing a Europa League spot.
Coach Vincenzo Italiano's team is aiming to go one better than last year when they lost to West Ham United in the final, but their away record in 2024 doesn't inspire much confidence. They've only won two of their 12 road games this year.
On top of that, Brugge has a history of beating top Italian teams on their home ground. Clubs like Roma, Juventus, and AC Milan have all fallen to Brugge in Belgium, though those victories happened back in the 1970s—before Hayen, Brugge's current coach, was even born.
If Fiorentina wants to keep their European dream alive, they'll need to overcome both Brugge's home advantage and their own road woes.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Club Brugge's Raphael Onyedika received his second yellow card and was sent off just three minutes after his first booking, meaning he will miss the second leg due to suspension. This leaves Club Brugge with a gap in their midfield, likely to be filled by Hugo Vetlesen alongside the experienced Denis Odoi.In the goalkeeper position, 26-year-old Nordin Jackers has recently claimed the starting role for Club Brugge, but he missed the weekend's win over Antwerp due to a minor injury. Simon Mignolet stepped in during his absence, but it's expected that Jackers will be fit to return for the crucial second leg against Fiorentina.
However, the hosts might have to adjust their defense, as left-back Bjorn Meijer left the Antwerp game with a knee injury just before halftime. The severity of his injury isn't clear, but if he can't play, Maxim De Cuyper could start in his place.
Fiorentina has also suffered a setback. Riccardo Sottil, who scored a stunning opening goal in the first leg, broke his collarbone and will miss the rest of the season. This leaves the Italian team without one of their key attackers. To fill Sottil's spot, Fiorentina might turn to either Christian Kouame or Jonathan Ikone. Gaetano Castrovilli, who scored Fiorentina's only goal against Hellas Verona at the weekend, can't step in as he wasn't included in the Europa Conference League squad.
Given these lineup changes and injuries, both teams will need to adjust their strategies for Wednesday's decisive match, with a spot in the final on the line.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Club Brugge possible starting lineup:Jackers; De Cuyper, Spileers, Mechele, Sabbe; Odoi, Veltesen; Skov Olsen, Vanaken, Jutgla; Thiago
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Dodo, Martinez Quarta, Ranieri, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Arthur; Gonzalez, Beltran, Kouame; Belotti
EXPERT PREDICTION
Club Brugge 2-2 Fiorentina
Club Brugge put up a good fight in the first leg but might struggle without a few crucial players of their own. Given these absences, Fiorentina should be able to grind out the draw they need to secure a spot in the final.
