West Ham and Fiorentina in the final

Who will succeed the winners of the C4 at AS Roma, qualified Thursday, May 18 for the final of its big sister, the Europa League? We know the two finalists who will try to succeed the Roman club in Prague on June 7. West Ham and Fiorentina respectively ruled out AZ Alkmaar and FC Basel in the semi-final second leg of the Europa League conference on Thursday May 18.

West Ham too strong for Alkmaar

Winners in the first leg at home to AZ Alkmaar (2-1), indirectly doing France a service for the UEFA index, the Hammers again did the job in the return match in the Netherlands on Friday. More dangerous throughout the game against the timorous Dutch, they first found the amount of Mathew Ryan through Lucas Paqueta (25th), before Pablo Fornals definitively killed Alkmaar’s hopes in stoppage time. game (1-0, 90th+4).

Still undefeated this season in C4, after filling up in the group stage (six wins) before eliminating AEK Larcana in the round of 16 (2-0, 4-0), then La Gantoise in the quarterfinals (1-1, 4-1), West Ham continue their attractive European run, having reached the last four of the Europa League in 2022. Beaten twice, the Londoners had fallen against Eintracht Frankfurt, the future winner (1-2, 0-1). They will have the opportunity on June 7 to clinch a first European title since the Intertoto Cup in 1999.

Fiorentina snatch the final at the end of the suspense

The other semi-final between Basel and Fiorentina was much more indecisive. Winners 2-1 in the first leg after having overturned everything in 20 minutes, the Balois were favorable for the return home. Led by a double from Nicolas Gonzalez (35th, 72nd), the Swiss had reduced the score by Zeki Amdouni (55th). An identical score in the first leg which sent the two teams into extra time. And while we seemed to be heading for the penalty shootout, Antonin Barak came to deliver the Viola after additional time (120th + 9), abnormally long due to an interruption of the match following the discomfort of a spectator in the stands.

The Florence club, currently 8th in Serie A, qualifies for the fourth final in its history in the European Cup, the first since 1990. The last – and only – continental title of the Viola dates back to 1961, with a coronation during the Cup Winners’ Cup (C2), which has since disappeared. Vincenzo Italiano’s men now have three weeks to prepare for the most important game of their season against West Ham on June 7.