Author: Vishwajit Sawant
FC Basel and West Ham United came away with a come-from-behind victory as both teams attempt to make history by reaching the final of the UEFA European Conference League. Basel pulled off a late comeback to beat Fiorentina 2-1. Meanwhile, West Ham United came from behind to beat AZ Alkmaar 2-1 in their own first leg, putting themselves in a promising position to reach their first European final in almost five decades. The thrilling results set up an exciting second game, with the matches still very evenly matched.
Basel surprise Fiorentina with late win
Zeki Amdouni’s late goal secured a crucial 2-1 away win for Basel against Fiorentina in the first leg of their Europa League Conference semi-final. The Swiss team has a great chance of becoming the first team from Switzerland to reach a European final.
Even after having a goal disallowed by the VAR, Basel held on for a draw. Fiorentina went ahead through Brazilian Arthur Cabral’s header in the 25th minute, but he didn’t celebrate out of respect for his former club, where he played from 2019 to 2022.
Despite having most of the possession in the game, the Italians allowed Basel to settle into the game, and the Swiss team became more threatening as the match progressed. Andy Diouf equalized with a low shot from outside the box in the 71st minute, and Amdouni (90’+3′) sealed the win in injury time with a shot from 10 meters after a floating free-kick.
The second leg will be played in Basel on Thursday.
West Ham’s comeback puts them within reach of first European final in 47 years
West Ham United achieved a significant victory in the first leg of the Europa League Conference semi-finals, putting them within reach of their first European final in 47 years. In 1976, he lost to Anderlecht (2-4) in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
The Hammers overcame AZ Alkmaar with a 2-1 comeback victory on Thursday. Although West Ham looked promising at the start of the game, it was Alkmaar who took the lead just before half-time through Tijjani Reijnders (41′), who scored from 20 yards. However, the Hammers showed resilience in the second half and managed to turn the game around.
First, Said Benrahma (67′) converted a penalty from Jarrod Bowen, before Michail Antonio (75′) took advantage of a loose ball in the Alkmaar area to secure a crucial win for the hosts. The second leg will be played on May 18 in Alkmaar, and the winner will face either Basel or Fiorentina in the final.
David Moyes’ side will be looking to continue their impressive run and secure a historic place in the European final.