Moise opens the scoring (with the help of the Ukrainian goalkeeper), then gets sent off for an elbow. Gosens and Gudmundsson seal the deal, with the return leg in Reggio Emilia on the 28th (the Franchi is undergoing renovations).

There are positive signs from Stefano Pioli’s Fiorentina, who made his debut with a convincing 3-0 win in the first leg of the Conference League playoffs thanks to Kean’s explosiveness, which forced goalkeeper Kudryk into an own goal, Gosens’ power, and Gudmundsson’s precision. Also noteworthy were the exploits of the usual De Gea. But it wasn’t all joy for the Viola against Polissya, as Kean was sent off at the end of the first half for elbowing Sarapii, who pulled the striker’s hair, but the Ukrainian was not sent off.
Stefano Pioli surprises by fielding a sort of 3-5-2 formation, leaving Dzeko on the bench in favor of Ndour, who takes his place in midfield alongside Fagioli and Sohm. Dodo and Gosens play on the wings. In defense, everything is confirmed with Comuzzo, Pongracic, and Ranieri, and up front, Gudmusson supports Kean. Polissya coach Ruslan Rotan opts for a classic 4-3-3 formation, with the two attacking wingers Gutsulyak and Nazarenko standing out on the right and left, respectively, with Filippov as center forward.

Goal, miracle, and red card—  On neutral ground in Presov, Slovakia, Fiorentina started strongly and had two chances in the first three minutes, first with a header from Pongracic and then with a shot from Dodo. However, it took the usual Kean to break the deadlock in the 8th minute, doing it all himself: he started from the left, skipped past two opponents and fired a powerful shot that first hit the post and then ricocheted off the unfortunate goalkeeper Kudryk. It was an own goal, but Moise’s merits were clear. Fiorentina played at a high tempo and showed brilliance, although Polissya began to emerge in the 20th minute, with a great chance in the 23rd minute that David De Gea saved. It was the Spaniard’s first save of the season, denying Filippov’s header from Andryievski’s cross. However, it was Fiorentina who doubled their lead in the 32nd minute thanks to a powerful and precise left-footed shot from Robin Gosens. Four minutes later, there was another good chance, this time for Gudmundsson and then again for Kean in the 42nd minute. The game is going well, even if Kean’s naivety leaves the Viola down to ten men: in the 44th minute, the center forward reacts with an elbow to Sarapii and is shown a red card. The referee sent off the striker, but he and the VAR inexplicably let the opponent who pulled the striker’s hair go unpunished. The first half ended with a final chance for Nazarenko.

hat-trick by Gudmundsson—  Pioli made no changes at the start of the second half despite being a man down. Fiorentina continued to dominate the game and in the 23rd minute, Gudmundsson made it 3-0 from Ndour’s assist. Immediately afterwards, the Icelandic player was replaced by Edin Dzeko, who made his official debut in the purple shirt. Gosens was replaced by Parisi, who immediately made his mark, while Sabiri (rejuvenated by Pioli) came on for Sohm. Finally, in the last few minutes, Fazzini and Viti came on for Ndour and Ranieri. Meanwhile, Polissya had a double chance for Haiduchyk, who did not cause any particular problems for Fiorentina, while in the 43rd minute, Haiduchyk seriously tested De Gea, who skillfully deflected the ball for a corner. The result remained unchanged and, as Pioli wanted, the team secured their place in the next round ahead of the return leg, which will be played next Thursday at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia so as not to interrupt the renovation work at the Artemio Franchi stadium.