Crystal Palace secured a spot in the Conference League semifinals with a 4-2 aggregate win over Fiorentina, despite losing the second leg 2-1 in Florence. The Eagles' progress was sealed after Ismaila Sarr scored an early header, giving them a four-goal aggregate lead following their 3-0 win at Selhurst Park in the first leg.
However, Fiorentina fought back, scoring either side of the early injury substitutions of Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix. The Italian side's second-leg display somewhat made up for their underwhelming first-leg performance, but it was not enough to prevent Palace from reaching their first European semifinal, where they will face Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palace are the fifth English club to reach the Conference League last four, joining Chelsea, West Ham, Leicester, and Aston Villa. In the second leg, Jaydee Canvot gifted Fiorentina their first glimmer of hope when he fouled Rolando Mandragora in the box, allowing Albert Gudmundsson to score from the penalty spot.
As the penalty was awarded, play was halted due to Wharton's injury, and he was replaced by Jefferson Lerma after just 30 minutes. Lacroix soon followed suit, with Oliver Glasner taking no chances and replacing him with Chadi Riad on the brink of half-time. Palace began the second half without Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was replaced by Jorgen Strand Larsen. Cher Ndour's stunning goal from range during a promising spell for Fiorentina was not enough, as their victory on the night was in vain.
Crystal Palace will meet Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Conference League semifinals, with the first leg scheduled for April 30 and the second leg on May 7. Palace were not initially supposed to be in this competition but are now making history after being demoted to the Conference League due to UEFA ownership rules. The team is within reach of the final in Leipzig, but their journey has been far from smooth.
Glasner will aim to put a bow on the most successful period in Palace's history by securing the club's first European trophy. In a post-match interview, Dean Henderson expressed his excitement, saying, 'This is unbelievable for this football club... The fans have stuck by us in the difficult times this season, and hopefully, we can deliver them something really special.' Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner said despite making it tough in the second leg, his side is fully deserving of their spot in the semifinals.
'In the quarter-final, it's never easy,' Glasner told TNT Sports. 'And it made it a little bit tougher than it could have been with a great start into the game, taking the lead. We're having a big chance after two or three minutes with Daniel Munoz, and then with the penalty, Fiorentina got the belief back.'