By Anna Italia
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55% Ball Possession FIORENTINA and 45% Ball Possession BORUSSIA MOCHENGLADBACH
Fiorentina 2 – 4 Borussia Mönchengladbach 
15′ Nikola Kalinic 44′ Lars Stindl (pen)
28′ Borja Valero 47′ Lars Stindl
. 55′ Lars Stindl
. 60′ Andreas Christensen
Aggregate. 3–4
What a blow! Fiorentina is eliminated and is out of the UEFA Europa League after losing against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Thursday 23 February 2017 for the Europa League Round of 32, Second Leg, at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy at 20:45. It’s a major failure because Fiorentina won the First Leg in Germany with a 0-1 and, incredible so, after taking the lead at the Franchi with 2 goals just lost the game!!!!
A sad day for Fiorentina fans and total disappointment. No excuse losing this game when being ahead with 2 goals. Amazingly, Borussia Mönchengladbach overturned the result to humiliate Fiorentina to the dismay of the fans with a poker! The aggregate result is Fiorentina 3 -4 Borussia Mönchengladbach. Wonder whatever happened to Fiorentina players, maybe losing concentration? Over confidence? Hero of the match is Stindl’s scoring a hat-trick around half-time to overturn the result.
On the other hand, AS Roma, the other Serie A team participating in the Europa League, qualified to the Round of 16 despite losing the game at the Olimpico Stadium against Villarrela with a 0-1. The advantage for Roma is that the qualification arrives thanks to the aggregate result with a 4-1.
Things started positively for Fiorentina when they opened the score in the 15th minute. It is forward Nikola Kalinic to defeat Borussia Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Sommer with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Federico Bernardeschi. Up to here, the momentum was high for Fiorentina…
Photo: facebook.com/ACFFiorentina
Everything was going perfect for the Viola. In the 28th minute, there you go, the goal by Spanish midfielder Borja Valero delivering a left footed shot to the bottom right corner. Here is when the whole pizza pie started to collapse. Question is whether they underestimate the rival thinking they had won the match…. It’s no wonder why the saying of the game is not over until Referee whistles the end of the game…… Oh boy… I am mad. Frustrated… anyway, Forza Fiorentina.
Photo: facebook.com/ACFFiorentina
Here is Fiorentina official starting lineup by coach Paulo Sousa:
FIORENTINA (3-4-2-1): Tătăruşanu; Rodríguez, Astori, Sánchez; Badelj, Olivera, Vecino, Chiesa; Bernardeschi, Borja Valero; Kalinić.
Here is Borussia Mönchengladbach official starting lineup by coach Dieter-Klaus Hecking:
BORUSSIA M’GLADBACH (4-4-2): Sommer; Jantschke, Christensen, Vestergaard, Wendt; Herrmann, Kramer, Dahoud, Hofmann; Hazard, Stindl.
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Photo: facebook.com/ACFFiorentina
2016 – 2017 UEFA Europa League
Round of 32 – Second Leg
Fiorentina – Borussia Mönchengladbach
Thursday 23 February 2017
Artemio Franchi Stadium
Florence, Italy
20:45
Referee: Artur Dias (POR)
Assistant referees: Rui Tavares (POR) and Paulo Soares (POR)
Additional assistant referees: João Pinheiro (POR) and Tiago Martins (POR)
Fourth official: Bruno Rodrigues (POR)
Goals: 15′ Nikola Kalinic (F), 28′ Borja Valero (F), 44′ Lars Stindl (B.)(pen), 47′ Lars Stindl (B.), 55′ Lars Stindl (F), 60′ Andreas Christensen (F)
Official lineups – formations:
FIORENTINA (3-4-2-1): Tătăruşanu; Rodríguez, Astori, Sánchez; Badelj, Olivera, Vecino, Chiesa; Bernardeschi, Borja Valero; Kalinić.
Subs: Sportiello, De Maio, Tello, Cristóforo, Babacar, Tomović, Iličić.
Coach: Paulo Sousa
BORUSSIA M’GLADBACH (4-4-2): Sommer; Jantschke, Christensen, Vestergaard, Wendt; Herrmann, Kramer, Dahoud, Hofmann; Hazard, Stindl.
Subs: Sippel, Kolodziejczak, Strobl, Drmic, Raffael, Johnson, Hahn.
Coach: Dieter-Klaus Hecking