Mateta Scores in First Start Since January as Crystal Palace Thrash Fiorentina

Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrated his return to Crystal Palace's starting lineup with a goal, his first since January, as the Eagles dominated Fiorentina 3-0 in the Conference League quarterfinals. Mateta, who hadn't started a game since January 25, converted a penalty before Tyrick Mitchell capitalized on a defensive blunder by Fiorentina to score the second goal. Ismaila Sarr sealed the victory with a late goal, putting Palace in a strong position ahead of the second leg in Florence. Crystal Palace have now gone five games without a defeat and are unbeaten in their last seven Conference League matches. The team's three-week break seemed to have paid off, as they displayed renewed energy from the start. Fiorentina, who are struggling to avoid relegation in Serie A, found it difficult to cope with Palace's intense start. The game's pace led to Dodo's late challenge on Evann Guessand in the area, resulting in a penalty that Mateta slotted past David de Gea. Minutes later, Daichi Kamada's pass found an unmarked Daniel Munoz, who played it across to Mateta, and although De Gea saved the initial effort, Mitchell was on hand to score the rebound. Fiorentina had a brief spell of threat in the second half but failed to test Henderson significantly before Sarr sealed their fate with a goal from a Kamada cross. In a post-match interview, Mateta expressed his happiness at scoring and praised his teammate Mitchell. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised Mateta's performance, stating that he deserves the goal and has been working hard to regain his form after a tough period. Glasner also commended his team's overall performance, particularly in the first half and the final 20 minutes of the game.