Rolando Mandragora and Moise Kean ultimately did enough to send Fiorentina through to their third straight Conference League semi-final against Real Betis, despite a 2-2 draw with Celje.
The Viola won the first leg 2-1 in Slovenia, but had Matias Moreno, Dodo and Nicolò Zaniolo, with Andrea Colpani injured, Pablo Mari cup-tied, and Robin Gosens only fit for the bench. Celje missed Armandas Kucys and Nejc Ajhmajer after knee surgery.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Marin Pongracic nodded a Rolando Mandragora cross over the bar, then Pongracic surged forward and his disguised through ball released Moise Kean to force a save at the near post.
Celje also threatened when Tamar Svetlin completed a give and go with Svit Seslar to burst into the box, forcing a difficult low save from David De Gea.
Mandragora nodded straight at the goalkeeper from close range after Nicolò Fagioli’s back-heel flick had sent Albert Gudmundsson down the left to stand up a cross.
Luca Ranieri almost repeated his goal from the first leg, but this time the header on a flicked-on corner was parried on the line by Ricardo Silva.
FLORENCE, ITALY – APRIL 17: Rolando Mandragora of ACF Fiorentina celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between ACF Fiorentina and NK Celje at Stadio Artemio Franchi on April 17, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Fiorentina did take the lead and extended their aggregate advantage when Pongracic threaded through to send Mandragora down the right, anticipating the on-rushing goalkeeper by prodding in with his weaker right foot.
Logan Delaurier-Chaubet stung De Gea’s gloves from distance in difficult conditions caused by heavy rain.
FLORENCE, ITALY – APRIL 17: General view inside the stadium Artemio Franchi during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between ACF Fiorentina and NK Celje at Stadio Artemio Franchi on April 17, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Celje equalised after the restart when Aljosa Matko ran onto the smart Zabukovnik through ball and surprised Fabiano Parisi to beat De Gea at the near post.
Fiorentina were visibly shaken and when Mandragora was forced into a tough clearance to stop Matko’s header from six yards, Celje turned the game around on the resulting corner. Klemen Nemanic was ready to nod in from Seslar’s set play and level the tie on aggregate at 3-3.
Within two minutes, Kean had the ball in the net again as he ran onto a Mandragora ball floated over the top, cut inside Juanjo Nieto and drilled the finish through his legs into the far bottom corner with the right boot. The offside flag went up, but he was able to celebrate after a long VAR check showed he was level.
Celje got into a terrible mess on another Mandragora free kick, a defender knocking it down into the path of Ranieri to bundle in from six yards, but he was offside on the original set play and it was disallowed.
Kean also had the ball in the net at the 89th minute, but this too was disallowed for offside on the Amir Richardson pass after he smashed it into the roof of the net.
Fiorentina 2-2 Celje (4-3 agg)
Mandragora 37 (F), Matko 54 (C), Nemanic 65 (C), Kean 67 (F)
