Crystal Palace have advanced to the semi-finals of the Conference League, defeating Fiorentina 4-2 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 2-1 in Florence. The Eagles had taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the first leg at Selhurst Park, and Ismaila Sarr's early header in the second leg appeared to put the tie beyond doubt.
However, Fiorentina staged a comeback, scoring either side of early injury substitutions for Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix. Despite this, Palace held on to reach their first European semi-final, where they will face Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palace become the fifth English club to reach the Conference League last four, following in the footsteps of Chelsea, West Ham, Leicester, and Aston Villa. The Eagles will host Shakhtar in the return leg at Selhurst Park, after traveling to Poland for the first leg, which is where Shakhtar play their home games due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The first leg is scheduled for April 30, with the second leg taking place on May 7. Palace were not initially expected to compete in the Conference League, having been demoted due to UEFA ownership rules.
Nevertheless, they continue to make history, with manager Oliver Glasner aiming to cap off the most successful period in the club's history by securing their first European trophy. Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson expressed his delight at the team's progress, stating, '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 praised his team's resilience, saying, 'In the knockout stages, sometimes it's not always about playing the best football. You need different skills, and today it was really being resilient and working hard, sticking together.'