UEFA Conference League quarter-final second legs: Draws enough to send Fiorentina and Real Betis through
Thursday, April 17, 2025
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Draws were enough for Fiorentina and Real Betis to progress from the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals, while Chelsea booked a semi-final spot despite losing at home.
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Fiorentina survived a scare against Celje and Real Betis contained Jagiellonia to reach the semi-finals of the Conference League, while Chelsea progressed despite a home defeat and Djurgården prevailed in extra time.
UEFA.com rounds up the Thursday night action.
Jagiellonia 1-1 Real Betis (agg: 1-3)
Real Betis sealed a first-ever European semi-final thanks to a resolute showing in Bialystok. With a two-goal cushion from the first leg, the Verdiblancos nullified their opponents for much of the contest and increased their advantage with just over 12 minutes remaining when in-form Cédric Bakambu finished emphatically after collecting Aitor Ruibal's incisive pass. Jagiellonia hit back shortly after when Darko Churlinov pounced on a loose ball in the area before sending a precise finish into the far corner, but Manuel Pellegrini's side held firm for a maiden last-four spot.
Fiorentina 2-2 Celje (agg: 4-3)
Moise Kean's masterful finish sent Fiorentina into their third successive Conference League semi-final, foiling Celje's second-half comeback in Florence. La Viola led through Rolando Mandragora's 37th-minute strike – a fifth in his last six appearances in the competition – before Aljoša Matko replied with a composed drive nine minutes after the break and Klemen Nemanič's 65th-minute header drew the visitors level on aggregate. Forward Kean then settled a dramatic decider two minutes later, setting up a semi-final against Betis with his expert finish.
Semi-final line-up (1 & 8 May)
Real Betis vs Fiorentina
Chelsea vs Djurgården
Chelsea 1-2 Legia Warszawa (agg: 4-2)
Chelsea were beaten for the first time in Europe this season but still progressed to face Djurgården in the Conference League semi-finals thanks to their 3-0 win in the first leg. Legia, who had never won a competitive match in England, took the lead when forward Tomáš Pekhart was fouled by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen and got up to score from the spot. Marc Cucurella drew Chelsea level by tapping in Jadon Sancho's cross, but Steve Kapuadi headed in to win it on the night for the visitors when the hosts failed to clear a second-half corner.
SK Rapid 1-4 Djurgården (aet, agg: 2-4)
Tobias Gulliksen sent Djurgården into their first-ever European semi-final with an extra-time double against nine-man SK Rapid. Mamadou Sangaré's seventh-minute dismissal left the hosts a player short and Marcus Danielson's penalty levelled the tie in the 42nd minute. Jacob Une nodded into his net on the cusp of half-time to restore SK Rapid's advantage, but Keita Kosugi's stunning 77th-minute strike sent the tie into extra time, where Gulliksen emerged as the hero. First firing in from long range and then finishing a cutback, the 21-year-old completed an exhilarating comeback before Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao was dismissed for the hosts.
Where is the Conference League final?
Stadion Wrocław in Poland will host the 2025 final, which will be played on 28 May.