Mateta Makes Instant Impact as Palace Thrash Fiorentina 3-0

Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrated his first start since January with a goal as Crystal Palace dominated Fiorentina 3-0 in the Conference League quarter-final first leg. Mateta, who had been out of the starting lineup since January 25, scored from the penalty spot before Tyrick Mitchell doubled the lead, capitalizing on a defensive blunder by Fiorentina. Ismaila Sarr sealed the victory with a late goal, putting Palace in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Florence. The win marked Palace's first three-goal outing at Selhurst Park since November and extended their unbeaten run to five games. Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner praised Mateta's performance, noting that the striker had worked hard to regain his form after a six-week absence due to injury. The team's renewed energy was evident from the start, with a three-week break seeming to pay off. Fiorentina, who are struggling to avoid relegation in Serie A, found it difficult to cope with Palace's intense pace. The visitors had a brief spell of threat in the second half but ultimately failed to test Palace's goalkeeper, Jack Henderson, consistently. Mateta expressed his joy at scoring, stating that he had dreamed of it for nights and was happy to have contributed to the team's victory. With the win, Palace is now unbeaten in their last seven Conference League games and looks poised to advance to the semi-finals.