Crystal Palace have reached the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time in the club’s 121-year history. The club progressed past Fiorentina 4-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals.
The Eagles carried a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg at Selhurst Park. Ismaila Sarr extended that advantage inside 17 minutes in Florence. He headed home Daniel Munoz’s cross for his seventh goal of the European season.
Fiorentina fought back. Albert Gudmundsson converted a first-half penalty. Cher Ndour added a stunning long-range strike eight minutes after the break. Palace held firm through a nervy second half, absorbing wave after wave of Italian pressure to secure their historic progression.
Ismaila Sarr has been the catalyst. The Senegalese winger has scored seven goals in the Conference League this season, more than any other player in the competition. Furthermore, his 17th goal of the campaign across all competitions arrived at the most important moment.
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Oliver Glasner’s side will now face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals. The Ukrainian giants progressed 5-2 on aggregate against AZ Alkmaar.
The first leg takes place on April 30 at the Henryk Reyman Stadium in Krakow, Poland. Shakhtar have been forced to stage their home matches there due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The return leg at Selhurst Park follows on May 7.
The winner advances to the final at Leipzig Stadium on May 27. For Palace, a club that had never won a European knockout tie before this season, the prospect of silverware is now real.
