Olympiakos Piraeus celebrates after an exhilarating 116th-minute conclusion.
The Conference League final was uneventful, with both teams focused on preparing for penalties. However, Olympiakos Piraeus scored a surprise goal just before the end of extra time, leaving AC Florence disappointed for the second year in a row.
Greek football was saved when Olympiakos Piraeus claimed their first European cup title, triumphing 1-0 (0-0, 0-0) over AC Florence after extra time in Athens. This victory came after the Italians had lost last year's final as well.
The game was lackluster and filled with errors from both sides, making scoring chances scarce. Nikola Milenkovic's goal for Florence was disallowed due to offside. Giacomo Bonaventura had two opportunities within a minute, but they were both denied by Olympiakos' goalkeeper, Konstantinos Tzolakis. Daniel Podence also missed a header after a corner against Pietro Terracciano, the Italian goalkeeper.
In the second half, the match remained manageable with mistakes on both sides. Ayoub El Kaabi, who had scored five goals in the semi-final against Aston Villa, was well controlled by the Florentines until the 116th minute. After a lengthy review by the video assistant, the goal was ultimately recognized.
The Olympiakos supporters, who made up the majority of the audience, had traveled just 15 kilometers to the AEK Arena. Authorities boosted security measures, especially in Athens' Nea Filadelfia district, where there were reports of fights on the stands during the event.
The Greeks, who had lost twice to SC Freiburg in the Europa League group stage and were relegated to the Conference League in third place, were cautious about losing to Florence before halftime. Nevertheless, both teams made several blunders throughout the entire game. With only a few seconds remaining before the end of extra time, El Kaabi secured a victory with a goal scored from a header.
Eintracht Frankfurt was the only German team qualified for the Conference League but had already been eliminated by Union St. Gilloise in the round of 16.
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Despite AC Florence's focus on penalty preparations, Olympiakos Piraeus managed to score a last-minute goal in the UEFA Conference League final, thanks to Ayoub El Kaabi's header. This victory against AC Florence marked Olympiakos Piraeus' first European cup title, a significant achievement that also denied AC Florence a win in consecutive finals.
Following their UEFA Conference League triumph, Olympiakos Piraeus looked to build on their success by confronting Italian rivals AC Florence, who previously participated in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. In Europe's major competitions, Olympiakos Piraeus has faced off against teams like AC Florence's rival, AC Milan, and English giants like Arsenal and Manchester City.
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