Jagiellonia Białystok suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off tie on Thursday evening. Goals from Luca Ranieri, Rolando Mandragora, and Roberto Piccoli, the last from a penalty, abandon the Polish side with a significant uphill battle in the return leg in Florence.
The match, played at the Chorten Arena in Białystok, remained scoreless at halftime. However, Fiorentina broke the deadlock shortly after the restart, with Luca Ranieri finding the net in the 53rd minute. Rolando Mandragora doubled the advantage in the 66th minute, effectively taking the game out of Jagiellonia’s reach. Roberto Piccoli then converted a penalty in the 81st minute to complete the scoring.
Jagiellonia’s Sławomir Abramowicz started in goal, behind a defense including Norbert Wojtuszek. The home side struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match, managing only one shot on target, a late effort from Imaza, according to reports. Fiorentina controlled possession and demonstrated greater attacking intent, capitalizing on their opportunities.
The second half saw a flurry of activity, with Fiorentina extending their lead. Mandragora’s goal came after a pass from Jacopo Fazzini, who was cautioned earlier in the match. The penalty awarded to Fiorentina stemmed from a foul by Jagiellonia’s Dawid Drachal on Roberto Piccoli inside the penalty area.
Late substitutions saw Sylla replace Bazdar and Kozlowski come on for Mazurek for Jagiellonia, but they were unable to alter the course of the match. Fiorentina’s goalkeeper, Lezzerini, received a yellow card for time-wasting as the visitors saw out the victory. The return leg is scheduled for February 23rd, with Fiorentina hosting Jagiellonia in Florence.
