Mateta Breaks Drought as Crystal Palace Overwhelm Fiorentina 3-0

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta made a triumphant return to the starting lineup, scoring his first goal since January as the Eagles dominated Fiorentina 3-0 in the Conference League quarterfinals. Mateta, who had not started since January 25, converted a penalty before Tyrick Mitchell capitalized on a defensive error to double the lead. Ismaila Sarr sealed the victory with a late goal, putting Palace in control 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. Oliver Glasner's side showed renewed energy after a three-week break, overwhelming Fiorentina from the start. The visitors struggled to cope with Palace's intense pressure, and their woes were compounded when Mateta slotted home a spot kick after a late challenge by Dodo on Evann Guessand. Minutes later, Mitchell added a second, pouncing on a rebound after David de Gea saved Mateta's initial effort. Fiorentina briefly threatened in the second half but ultimately fell short, with Sarr putting the game out of reach with a late strike. Mateta, who had been sidelined for six weeks, expressed his delight at scoring, saying, 'What a night. It's been a long time, I didn't play, I didn't start. I'm very happy and very happy my guy scored as well.' Palace boss Oliver Glasner praised Mateta's work ethic, saying, 'He always gives 100 percent effort to the team, 100 percent effort for Crystal Palace. He's scored so many important goals for us, and he also had a tough period now.'