Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrated his return to Crystal Palace's starting lineup with a goal, his first since January, as the Eagles secured a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the Conference League quarterfinals. The win puts Palace in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Florence. Mateta, who had not started since January 25, converted a penalty before Tyrick Mitchell added a second goal, capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Fiorentina.
Ismaila Sarr sealed the win with a late goal, putting Palace in the driver's seat. The team's performance was a marked improvement from their recent goalless draws, with a renewed energy evident from the start.
A three-week break seemed to have paid off for Palace, with Oliver Glasner's side looking like a different unit. Fiorentina, who are struggling to avoid relegation in Serie A, found it difficult to cope with Palace's intense start.
The pace of the game led to Dodo's late challenge on Evann Guessand in the area, resulting in Mateta's penalty. Daichi Kamada's ball over the top found an unmarked Daniel Munoz, who played it across to Mateta, and after David de Gea saved the initial effort, Mitchell followed up to score. Fiorentina had a brief spell of threat in the second half but ultimately could not test Henderson in goal before Sarr sealed the win. Mateta expressed his happiness at scoring, stating he had dreamed of it for nights and was pleased to have contributed to the team's victory.
Oliver Glasner praised Mateta's effort, saying he deserves the goal and has been working hard to get back to form after a tough period.