Fiorentina were again wasteful, but eventually wore The New Saints down for a 2-0 Conference League victory with Yacine Adli and Moise Kean.
The Viola opened their European campaign proper after eliminating Puskas Akademia on penalties in the play-offs, having reached the Conference League Final for two seasons running. Lucas Martinez Quarta, Pietro Comuzzo and Luca Ranieri sat out bans with Marin Pongracic injured. The New Saints were newcomers to European football from Wales who had come through Champions League and Europa League preliminary rounds.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Jonathan Ikone scuffed a finish wide from a very promising position after combining with Lucas Beltran, then Christian Kouame’s low angled drive was fingertipped inches round the far post.
Beltran also forced a save at the near post from a very tricky angle and Kouame fired over from the edge of the box.
Fiorentina had a double dose of bad luck on the stroke of half-time, as Rolando Mandragora’s right-foot curler from the edge of the box thumped the underside of the crossbar and he sprained his knee in the process, forced to limp off.
It increasingly turned into a siege on the New Saints goal with a series of attempts charged down and Kouame’s header looping wide.
Fiorentina finally broke the deadlock when Kouame’s dummy let a pass through for Adli just inside the area, the first attempt was charged down, but the second found the near bottom corner.
Moments later, the floodgates opened, as Dodo’s cross was not cleared, Kouame and Moreno had shots charged down, but the latter turned into an accidental assist for substitute Moise Kean from point-blank range.
Kean simply had to score on a Dodo assist, but didn’t get enough power on the tap-in from four yards, allowing Richards to make a desperate save.
Fiorentina 2-0 The New Saints
Adli 65 (F), Kean 69 (F)
