Fiorentina Edges Past Raków Częstochowa in Conference League Clash

Florence, Italy – Fiorentina secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Raków Częstochowa in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie on March 12, 2026, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. A late penalty converted by Albert Gudmundsson proved to be the decisive moment in a closely contested match.

Match Summary

Cher Ndour opened the scoring for Fiorentina, but Jonatan Braut Brunes quickly equalized for Raków Częstochowa. The game appeared headed for a draw until Gudmundsson’s penalty in stoppage time gave Fiorentina a slender advantage heading into the second leg.

First Half Action

Fiorentina dominated the early stages, with Oliver Christensen making an early save. Robin Gosens came close to scoring with an acrobatic back-heel attempt, forcing a save from Oliwier Zych. Jacopo Fazzini also had a significant opportunity, but his volley went over the bar. Gosens continued to threaten, with another header testing the Raków goalkeeper.

Second Half and Decisive Penalty

The second half saw continued pressure from Fiorentina, but Raków Częstochowa remained resilient. The breakthrough came in the dying moments of the match when a penalty was awarded to Fiorentina, which Gudmundsson calmly converted to secure a 2-1 lead.

Lineups and Substitutions

Fiorentina Starting XI: Christensen; Fortini, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens, Parisi, Fabbian, Mandragora, Ndour, Fazzini, Piccoli.

Substitutions: Jack Harrison replaced Robin Gosens in the 59th minute.

Raków Częstochowa Starting XI: Zych; Pienko, Brunes, Arak, Nowak, Lederman, Kochalski, Szczepan, Cebula, Zwolinski, Mikic.

Match Statistics

Fiorentina controlled possession with 58.1% of the ball compared to Raków Częstochowa’s 41.9%. Fiorentina had 6 shots on goal from 18 attempts, while Raków managed 3 shots on goal from 7 attempts. Fiorentina received 3 yellow cards, and Raków received 3. Fiorentina also had 8 corner kicks to Raków’s 3.

Looking Ahead

Fiorentina will travel to Częstochowa for the second leg, where they will appear to defend their narrow lead and secure their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League. The second leg promises to be a tense affair as Raków Częstochowa will aim to overturn the deficit in front of their home supporters.