A strong start would always be crucial for either side in this round of 16 first-leg tie, but in a hint of events to come, the visitors had the first real sighting of the game after just three minutes, when Tomasz Pienko tip-toed through the penalty area and prodded towards goal, but saw his tame shot repelled by Oliver Christensen at the near post.
That would be the first and last time Rakow truly threatened in the first half as the hosts gained a foothold, with Oliwier Zych tipping Robin Gosen’s flick over the bar.
The German international also placed a header straight at the Aston Villa loanee, meaning that Jacopo Fazzini had the best chance of the half just before the half-hour mark, but he volleyed over the bar from 12 yards after Fabiano Parisi’s mazy run and cross. Parisi himself then tested Zych from long range in first-half stoppage time.
Jonatan Brunes almost made the hosts pay for those spurned chances within seconds of the restart, but the Norwegian forward lost his balance and skewed his shot wide from inside the box.
That was merely a warning shot for La Viola, though, as Brunes latched on to a Patryk Makuch flick-on and buried clinically past Christensen on the hour mark.
However, Fiorentina did not lick their wounds and were level less than two minutes later thanks to Cher Ndour.
The big French midfielder brought a bit of head tennis to an emphatic end, producing a thumping finish into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Roberto Piccoli then went on a one-man mission to give his side a vital lead, but after robbing a Rakow defender, he ended his solo effort by crashing a shot off the crossbar.
Paolo Vanoli’s men were gifted an opportunity to take a lead into the second leg in Poland next week when Michael Ameyaw clearly handled Dodo’s cross, but questions remained as to whether the offence was outside the area.
However, VAR confirmed the Rakow defender was just inside the box, meaning that Albert Gudmundsson was able to coolly roll his penalty into the bottom corner to secure the narrowest of first-leg advantages for La Viola.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Cher Ndour (Fiorentina)
