Key Takeaways
- Crystal Palace reached their first European semi-final despite a 2-1 loss on the night in Florence.
- Ismaïla Sarr’s early header kept the tie safe after last week’s 3-0 home win.
- Coach Oliver Glasner, who will leave in summer, let the squad celebrate overnight in the Tuscan capital.
Crystal Palace are marching on in Europe after edging past Fiorentina in a tense quarter-final. The Londoners lost 2-1 in Thursday’s return leg at Stadio Artemio Franchi, but their 3-0 victory from Selhurst Park was enough for a 4-2 aggregate win and a place in the last four of the Europa Conference League.
Senegalese winger Ismaïla Sarr calmed early nerves when he headed in Daniel Muñoz’s cross after 17 minutes. That strike meant the hosts needed five without reply, a mountain that proved too steep even for a proud Italian side who have twice been runners-up in this competition.
Fiorentina clawed two back through Albert Gudmundsson’s penalty and a thunderous strike from teenager Cher Ndour, yet Palace’s defence, patched up after injuries to Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix, held firm. Dean Henderson denied Manor Solomon and Gudmundsson again to keep the dream alive.
Manager Oliver Glasner, who lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield this season before announcing his January departure, praised his rookie European squad. “Ninety per cent of these players had never tasted continental football,” he said. “Every match teaches us.”
The Austrian also revealed he allowed the squad a night out in Florence, recalling the same reward he gave Eintracht Frankfurt en route to their 2022 Europa League crown. “Hopefully the story ends the same way,” he smiled.
About 1,400 travelling fans, many more without tickets, turned the Renaissance city red and blue. Former Eagles winger John Salako, part of the 1991 side denied European entry, joined the festivities before kick-off.
Palace now face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals, with a final berth in Leipzig on 27 May the prize. After ending the club’s 165-year wait for silverware, Glasner is two ties from another fairytale farewell.