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FLORENCE, ITALY – MARCH 12: Cher Ndour of ACF Fiorentina celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 round of 16 first leg match between ACF Fiorentina and Rakow Czestochowa at Stadio Artemio Franchi on March 12, 2026 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Fiorentina have a narrow lead in the Conference League with Rakow after Albert Gudmundsson converted a stoppage-time penalty, as Cher Ndour’s volley replied to Jonatan Braut Brunes.
The Viola scraped through to the Round of 16 after an extraordinary play-off with Jagiellonia, where they won the first leg 3-0 away, lost the second by the same result at home, just managing to get through in extra time, 5-4 on aggregate. That was the start of a slide in form, consisting of one draw in three competitive games, with Moise Kean, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured, plus Marin Pongracic suspended. Rakow won the Polish title in 2023 and finished second in the league phase.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Oliver Christensen made his Europa League debut for this season and immediately made a save at the near post when Fabiano Parisi anticipated Tomasz Pienko, risking an own goal.
Robin Gosens almost scored a stunning strike with his aerial back-heel flick on Jacopo Fazzini’s free kick, forcing Oliwier Zych to fingertip it out from under the crossbar.
A Gosens header was also straight at the goalkeeper and Pietro Comuzzo hit the bar only after the corner had already gone out of play.
Fazzini had a huge opportunity when he volleyed over from eight yards at the back post after good work to stand up the cross from Parisi. His scuffed finish also tested Zych on the stroke of half-time.
Jonatan Braut Brunes fired over straight after the restart and Cher Ndour nodded wide, but it was only a warning.
Rakow took the lead when they caught the Viola defenders napping on a bouncing ball, so Brunes got down the left and beat Christensen at the near post from close range.
It lasted only two minutes until Fiorentina equalised, Rolando Mandragora knocking on a ball for Ndour’s half-volley off the outside of the right boot from the edge of the area, giving it a strange swerve into the top corner.
Roberto Piccoli robbed Bogdan Racovitan in midfield to surge forward by himself, shrugging off defenders only to blast onto the crossbar.
Fiorentina youth team top scorer Riccardo Braschi came on for his senior debut in the final minutes.
Just as it seemed to be over, there was a dramatic twist, as Michael Ameyaw stuck up a hand to charge down the Dodo cross and he was leaning backwards, so the contact was inside the penalty area. Gudmundsson stepped up and kept his cool to insouciantly roll into the near bottom corner, sending Zych the wrong way to give Fiorentina a stoppage-time advantage.
Fiorentina 2-1 Rakow
Brunes 60 (R), Ndour 62 (F), Gudmundsson pen 93 (F)
12-03-2026 20:00
1/8 Final
Artemio Franchi StadiumFiorentinaRaków Częstochowa
Live2 – 1
Player statistic
| 32' | Karol Struski |
| Luca Ranieri | 48' |
| 60' | Jonatan Braut Brunes(Assist: Patryk Makuch) |
| Cher Ndour(Assist: Rolando Mandragora) | 62' |
| 80' | Fran Tudor |
| Fabiano Parisi | 85' |
| Albert Gudmundsson | 90+3' |
Fiorentina
Raków Częstochowa
Starting lineups
Oliver Christensen
Goalkeeper
65
Fabiano Parisi
Defender
6
Luca Ranieri
Defender
15
Pietro Comuzzo
Defender
27
Cher Ndour
Midfielder
80
Giovanni Fabbian
Midfielder
22
Jacopo Fazzini
Midfielder
59′
29
Niccolò Fortini
Midfielder
68′
21
Robin Gosens
Midfielder
59′
8
Rolando Mandragora
Midfielder
82′
91
Roberto Piccoli
Attacker
82′
48
Oliwier Zych
Goalkeeper
25
Bogdan Racovițan
Defender
7
Fran Tudor
Defender
4
Stratos Svarnas
Defender
23
Karol Struski
Midfielder
70′
6
Oskar Repka
Midfielder
10
Ivi López
Attacker
60′
18
Jonatan Braut Brunes
Attacker
80′
19
Michael Ameyaw
Attacker
9
Patryk Makuch
Attacker
8
Tomasz Pienko
Attacker
60′
Substitutes
43
David de Gea
Goalkeeper
60
Eddy Kouadio
Defender
50
Pietro Leonardelli
Goalkeeper
62
Luis Balbo
Defender
63
Piergiorgio Bonanno
Midfielder
67
Edoardo Sadotti
Defender
10
Albert Gudmundsson
Attacker
59′
17
Jack Harrison
Attacker
59′
2
Dodô
Defender
68′
44
Nicolò Fagioli
Midfielder
82′
61
Riccardo Braschi
Attacker
82′
11
Adriano
Attacker
1
Kacper Trelowski
Goalkeeper
2
Ariel Mosor
Defender
44
Bogdan Mirčetić
Midfielder
35
Mitja Ilenic
31
Dominik Czeremski
21
Jerzy Napieraj
24
Zoran Arsenic
Defender
60′
80
Lamine Diaby-Fadiga
Attacker
60′
5
Marko Bulat
Midfielder
70′
17
Leonardo Rocha
80′
