Report: Outstanding Eagles take command of European quarter-final

In front of a rapturous Selhurst Park, who did not stop singing for a moment throughout, Palace produced a dominant first-half display to take control of the first leg – and potentially the tie as a whole.

Mateta’s penalty – after Evann Guessand was fouled inside the box – and Mitchell’s instinctive fininsh– after Mateta had a close-range effort saved by David de Gea – put Palace two goals to the good by the break.

By contrast, the second-half was one more about retaining control of the contest and, although Fiorentina did strike the crossbar through Giovanni Fabbian, there was momentum enough for Sarr to thump a downwards header beyond de Gea in stoppage time.

Palace will now take a three-goal lead to Florence for the second leg and continue their sensational European debut campaign.

Summary:

• Three changes for Palace from Round of 16 win in Cyprus, with Henderson, Muñoz and Mateta all starting.
• Spectacular pre-match supporter display and light show set the scene at a rocking Selhurst Park.
• 7: Muñoz’s out-swinging cross from deep reaches Mateta, but the forward nods wide on the stretch.
• 14: Hitting it first-time, Gosens blasts wide from Fabbian’s pull-back.
• 18: Guessand raises a leg to prod Muñoz’s fizzed ball goalwards; it bounces narrowly wide.
• 20: Palace win a penalty when Dodo catches Guessand on the follow-through.
• 24 – GOAL: VAR confirms the kick and Mateta sends De Gea the wrong way from the spot.
• 31 – GOAL: Mitchell doubles Palace’s advantage after Mateta’s initial effort is saved.
• 39: Canvot weaves his way past two Fiorentina challenges but his low effort is held.
• HT: Palace 2-0 Fiorentina
• 51: Fabbian strikes the crossbar with a first-time effort from the edge of the box.
• 53: Kamada cuts inside but blasts into the side-netting.
• 59: Henderson dives low to his left to keep out Piccoli’s near-post strike.
• 77: Sarr springs high to meet Muñoz’s delivery – his looping header drifts off target.
• 79: The Senegal forward then picks out Mateta at the far post, but he heads wide.
• 88: Pino drifts forward with the ball and tees up Sarr, whose effort is blocked.
• 90+1 – GOAL: Sarr’s downwards header puts Palace in commanding position.
• 90+2: Pino almost caps the night with a delicate lob, but Dodo clears off the line.
• FT: Palace 3-0 Fiorentina

Exactly three weeks to the day since Crystal Palace became the first English team to – in their debut European season – reach the quarter-finals since 1979, Selhurst Park was primed for another shot at history.

Having reached two finals and one semi-final in the three previous iterations of the UEFA Conference League, however – contributing to an impressive record of 10 wins in 11 European quarter-final victories – Fiorentina possessed pedigree of a different calibre to any opponent the Eagles had faced so far.

Palace made three changes to their starting XI from the side which won in Cyprus, with Dean Henderson and Daniel Muñoz – back from illness and injury respectively – returning to the starting XI, and Jean-Philippe Mateta making his first start since 25th January.

The proceedings began with a rousing atmosphere from well before kick-off, Selhurst awash with a heady buzz of anticipation, a dash of nerves – and excitement.

A pre-match supporter display from the Holmesdale Fanatics saw the famous red and blue beamed spectacularly across the continent – and then, it was time for the action to begin.

Manager Oliver Glasner had spoken in the build-up to the match about the strength and atmosphere of the week’s training in the build-up – and that transpired on the pitch in a swashbuckling first-half display.

It was the Serie A side who threatened in the opening seconds through Jack Harrison’s low ball in – Chris Richards meeting it with an important block tackle – but from then on, the Eagles took control.

The first clear opportunity saw Muñoz pull into space on the right and, sizing up his man, swing in a high out-swinger which Mateta attacked. The Frenchman leapt high but, on the stretch, could not meet it cleanly enough to direct on target.

Robin Gosens then first wide first-time for Fiorentina from the edge of the box – his effort never truly threatening Dean Henderson – before Muñoz was at it again soon after, his fizzed cross prodded goalwards instinctively by Evann Guessand; the ball’s spin, upon landing, took it just wide of the far post.

The possession, the territory and the threat were all Palace’s.

On the 20-minute mark, Ismaïla Sarr turned and ran menacingly at the Fiorentina defence.

As The Violets backed off, Sarr slipped in Guessand on the overlap; the Ivorian fired wide, but was caught by defender Dodô on the follow-through. A penalty was awarded and, after a VAR check, confirmed, and up stepped Mateta.

The Frenchman’s last goal had been on New Year’s Day against Fulham – and he soon had Selhurst partying once more, stepping up to send David de Gea sprawling the wrong way from 12 yards.

Yet Palace wanted – demanded – more. The attacks kept on coming and, seven minutes later, the Eagles doubled their lead.

A delightful lofted pass from Daichi Kamada found Muñoz making a dart in behind the defence. The Colombian, leaning back, did wonderfully to improvise a cross towards the unmarked Mateta, who prodded goalwards.

De Gea’s save was impressive – but he could do nothing to prevent Tyrick Mitchell steamrolling in to divert the ball back across the keeper for his second goal of the European campaign.

A 2-0 lead was the least the Eagles deserved, and they would see late first-half efforts come close through both Maxence Lacroix from a corner kick and – after drifting past two tackles and cutting inside – Jaydee Canvot.

When the half-time whistled sounded, it did so to appreciation from all four corners of Selhurst.

Fiorentina, to their credit, came out fighting in the second-half.

Not long after the restart, Giovanni Fabbian – a lively presence for La Viola in the first-half – struck the top of the crossbar with a first-time effort from Dodô’s pull-back.

Up the other end, Guessand continued to show his class, a clipped ball towards the back post finding Kamada who cut inside and shot powerfully, yet into the side-netting.

Not long after, Henderson was called into action for the first time, plunging low to his left to prevent Roberto Piccoli’s near-post effort from creeping into the bottom corner.

With The Violets beginning to enjoy greater possession, and Guessand appearing to pick up a knock, Glasner summoned for Yéremy Pino from the bench to help the Eagles regain their control.

And the change appeared to have the desired effect, as the tempo of the game settled and Pino began to see plenty of the ball.

For the next chapter of the contest, clear opportunities began to dry up – but it was Sarr who was next to go close with a quarter-of-an-hour left on the clock as he rose to head Muñoz’s standing cross goalwards, only to see his effort loop beyond the far stick.

Two minutes later, Sarr turned creator, found in space by a lovely pass from Pino. The No. 7 stood it up to the far post where Mateta would have fancied himself to beat De Gea, yet his contact was not firm enough to direct the ball on target.

Lerma was next to emerge from the bench, replacing Mateta – who came off to warm applause – as Glasner shored up his midfield, with Sarr moving up top and Kamada pushed further forwards.

There was another opportunity for Palace to extend their lead on 88 minutes, Pino earning a rendition of his popular chant with a clever run from deep to tee up Sarr; his effort across goal was blocked by a sliding defender.

But the cherry was well and truly added to the cake by Sarr in the first minute of injury time, the forward peeling away at the back post to meet Muñoz’s delivery and – heading down into the ground, the ball skipping up – into the top corner.

Commence scenes of jubilation.

It could have gotten even better seconds after the restart, Pino running clear to beat De Gea with a delicate lob – but one which, in dropping, gave Dodo the chance to clear off the line.

Moments later, the Spaniard came within inches of tapping in Muñoz’s ball across the six-yard box.

No matter. A three-goal lead to take to Italy next week? Palace will certainly take that.

Florence – and maybe the semi-finals – we’re on our way.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Muñoz, Wharton (Hughes, 90+4), Kamada (Johnson, 90+4), Mitchell, Sarr, Guessand (Pino, 65), Mateta (Lerma, 83).

Subs: Benítez (GK), Matthews (GK), Riad, Clyne, Sosa, Cardines, Devenny.

Fiorentina: De Gea (GK), Dodô, Pongračić (Comuzzo, 82), Ranieri, Gosens (Balbo, 78), Fabbian, Fagioli, Ndour, Harrison (Fazzini, 78), Piccoli, Gudmundsson.

Subs: Leonardelli (GK), Christensen (GK), Kospo, Mandragora, Kouadio, Braschi, Deli, Puzzoli.

As It Happened