With the arrival of spring, Crystal Palace is basking in a wave of optimism following a stunning display against Fiorentina. Jean-Philippe Mateta marked his first start since January with a goal, while Tyrick Mitchell added a second, and Ismaïla Sarr’s late header solidified the team’s position, putting them on the brink of reaching the semi-finals in their inaugural European competition.
Previously, Crystal Palace’s home performances in the Conference League had been underwhelming. However, after a three-week preparation period, manager Oliver Glasner demonstrated his adeptness in knockout tournaments by guiding his team to execute their strategy flawlessly.
Fiorentina, who have consistently reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League for the past four seasons and have appeared in two finals, struggled to respond to Palace’s efforts. They could have found themselves in a dire situation by halftime, but Sarr’s late goal, following a missed opportunity from Mateta, means they will need an extraordinary comeback in the second leg in Florence next week.
Mateta had previously missed a chance to move to Serie A after a failed medical with AC Milan in January and had expressed a desire to leave Crystal Palace. However, he received a warm welcome from fans when he was substituted, having scored from the penalty spot, even though he had the chance to net a hat-trick after stepping in for the suspended Jørgen Strand Larsen.
In other European action, Freiburg advanced significantly towards the Europa League semi-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo at home. Vincenzo Grifo opened the scoring after just ten minutes with a well-placed shot, followed by Jan-Niklas Beste extending their lead shortly after. Mathias Ginter sealed the win with a header in the closing stages, leaving Celta Vigo with a challenging path ahead to progress. The victor of this matchup will face either Real Betis or Braga, who played to a 1-1 draw in their first leg.
In the Conference League, Shakhtar Donetsk took a major step towards a semi-final clash with Crystal Palace by defeating AZ Alkmaar 3-0. Playing in Krakow, Poland, Shakhtar scored first through Pedrinho in the 72nd minute, followed by two quick goals from Alisson late in the match.
Mainz triumphed over Gary O’Neil’s Strasbourg with a 2-0 win in Germany, thanks to a deflected goal from Kaishu Sano and a volley from Stefan Posch within the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano secured a comfortable 3-0 victory at home against AEK Athens, with Ilias Akhomach scoring in the second minute.
“What a night. I dreamed about scoring that goal, and I am so happy,” Mateta expressed after the match. When asked if he had a message for the fans, he said, “They know me, I keep working hard. They know I am always here, and hopefully, we can finish the job in Italy.”
One of the advantages of Palace’s recent lighter schedule is that Daniel Muñoz has fully recovered from a knee injury that had sidelined him for several weeks. The Colombian defender showcased his skills throughout the match, including a moment where Mateta headed an early cross wide before Evann Guessand nearly scored with a volley.
Guessand was in a prime position to shoot after receiving a pass from Sarr when he was fouled by Dodô, prompting the Lithuanian referee to award a penalty despite protests from Fiorentina. Mateta confidently converted the penalty, rolling the ball past David de Gea, and celebrated with his signature corner flag kick, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Palace capitalized on their momentum just eight minutes later when Muñoz delivered a spectacular assist to Mateta. Although De Gea made an excellent save from close range, Mitchell was quick to pounce on the rebound and score.
Fiorentina could have faced an even greater deficit if Guessand or Maxence Lacroix had converted their chances just before halftime. The visitors were fortunate to head into the locker room only two goals down, especially as Dodô narrowly avoided a second yellow card for a foul on Guessand.
The second half was briefly delayed as De Gea had to clear a collection of streamers that had accumulated in the net, thanks to some playful fans. Fiorentina showed they were still in the fight when Giovanni Fabbian struck the crossbar from inside the area, although Jack Harrison’s involvement seemed to be offside.
Daichi Kamada attempted to respond for Palace but shot narrowly wide. The fluidity of the first half was lacking as the match progressed, with Fiorentina struggling to penetrate a solid defense, well-organized by Lacroix, who recently made his debut for France and could be a contender for the upcoming World Cup if he maintains his current form.
Mateta will hope that French national team coach Didier Deschamps was not watching when he headed wide from Sarr’s assist with an open goal, but Sarr made sure to redeem the situation on a memorable night for Crystal Palace and their supporters.
