Real Betis have etched their name in the history books, securing their first-ever European final berth in dramatic fashion. Abde Ezzalzouli’s decisive goal in extra time broke ACF Fiorentina’s hearts, as the Spanish side progressed to the UEFA Conference League (UECL) final with a 2-2 draw after extra time at a raucous Stadio Artemio Franchi. The result saw Betis advance on away goals after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
Despite a somewhat disjointed start, Fiorentina created the first significant chance when Pietro Comuzzo’s header from a corner was desperately cleared off the line. This early scare foreshadowed Betis’s struggles in defending set-pieces throughout the match. However, it was Betis who drew first blood in spectacular style. Antony, in search of his third goal in as many games, unleashed an unstoppable free-kick that whistled past David de Gea, clipped the inside of the post, and nestled into the net.
The elation for Betis was short-lived as Fiorentina responded swiftly. Just four minutes later, Robin Gosens ghosted away from his marker to meet Rolando Mandragora’s dangerous corner, his glancing header finding the bottom corner to level the score.
Despite Johnny Cardoso rattling the crossbar for Betis, the momentum had swung in Fiorentina’s favor. History repeated itself as another Yacine Adli corner found Gosens, who once again peeled away and headed past Fran Vieites, giving the home side the lead. Moise Kean then missed a golden opportunity from another corner on the stroke of half-time, heading wide from close range.
After the break, Betis regrouped and gained the upper hand in a nervy second half. The period was largely defined by a fierce and often ill-tempered battle between Fiorentina captain Luca Ranieri and Betis’s goalscorer Antony, with their physical duels frequently spilling over into confrontations. A flurry of yellow cards punctuated a disjointed second half, with Gosens going closest for Fiorentina and De Gea pulling off a fine double save to deny Betis late on, sending the game to extra time.
In extra time, Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini made a tactical masterstroke, introducing full-back Aitor Ruibal as a makeshift centre-forward. The bold move paid off within seven minutes. Ruibal controlled a long ball and cleverly slipped a through ball to Antony, who unselfishly squared it for Ezzalzouli to slot home the decisive goal.
The remainder of extra time was a tense affair, but Betis held firm, their resilience ultimately securing a historic place in the UEFA Conference League final. They will now face Chelsea in the final showdown in Wroc?aw later this month, marking a momentous occasion for the Spanish club and their supporters.
