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' journey to the semifinals began with a 3-0 victory at Selhurst Park, giving them a significant advantage. Ismaila Sarr's early header in the second leg seemed to solidify Palace's position, but Fiorentina fought back with two goals. Despite this, Palace's aggregate lead was enough to see them through to the semifinals, 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. The team's European dream continues, with manager Oliver Glasner aiming to cap off the most successful period in Palace's history with their first European trophy. Palace 'keeper Dean Henderson praised the team's resilience, 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.' Glasner echoed this sentiment, stating, 'I think we deserved to play the semi-final... the team showed great resilience today.' The semifinal match against Shakhtar Donetsk is set to take place on April 30 and May 7, with Palace hosting the return leg at Selhurst Park.