Basel take on the visitors Fiorentina in the second leg of UEFA Conference League semifinals. The first leg result: 2-1. The match will be played on Thursday, May 18th at St. Jakob-Park (Basel).
"Basel" simply must give their all in this match. After all, it is their last chance to salvage the season as a whole. They, once the undisputed leaders of Swiss football, have faded into the background in recent years. It seemed like there was progress last season when they managed to climb to second place. However, instead of building on that success, the vice-champions have now slid back to the middle of the local league table. Things did not go smoothly in the Conference League either, with their first defeat coming in the summer qualifiers against "Brondby," whom they eventually defeated in a penalty shootout in August. The playoffs were also nerve-wracking affairs. They suffered a minimal loss to "Trabzonspor" in Turkey but responded with a 2-0 victory at home. Then the Swiss side consistently played out result-oriented draws. In the end, they advanced past "Slovan" (who were expected to top the group in the fall) through a penalty shootout in Bratislava, and they scored the decisive goal in extra time in the away match against "Nice." In Italy, the Swiss team traveled as clear underdogs, but they managed to shine again on foreign soil, winning 2-1.
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"Fiorentina are currently playing in the Conference League thanks to their seventh-place finish in the previous championship. It was certainly an achievement for their new coach, Italiano. However, Vincenzo and his team will not be able to replicate such success this time around. Like all the other mid-table teams, they have fallen behind the group of giants. However, they seem to be compensating for this in other tournaments. On the domestic front, the 'Viola' have performed well in the cup, although they were fortunate with the draw. While "Inter" had to face "Juventus" in the semifinals, this team was content with defeating the audacious upstart "Cremonese." Most importantly, in the Conference League, the Italians have been impressive. They eliminated "Twente" in the qualifiers and topped their group. In 2023, "Fiorentina" managed to surprise right away by defeating the experienced and ambitious "Braga." After that, they defeated "Sivasspor" and "Lech." By the way, they scored four goals against each of their opponents in one of the matches. In Florence last Thursday, it seemed like the hosts underestimated their opponents, especially after taking the lead. The result was a final score of 1-2 and the need to win in the 'second leg.'
Prior to this duel, the teams have only played once before, during the group stage of the Europa League in 2015. "Basel" had the better outcome then: a 2-1 victory at "Artemio Franchi" and a scoring draw at home. The 'Viola' could and should have won; luck was not on their side at home. We recommend betting on an away victory this Thursday."
Prediction for the match: Fiorentina to win.
