Crystal Palace has officially advanced to the UEFA Conference League semi-finals. The South London club eliminated Fiorentina 4-2 on aggregate on Thursday. Fiorentina won the second leg 2-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence. Palace’s commanding 3-0 first-leg advantage secured the historic progression. This is a massive upset against a seasoned Italian squad that reached the tournament’s final in both 2023 and 2024. Palace is competing in its very first major European campaign after qualifying as the FA Cup champions.
Ismaïla Sarr struck early to kill the tie. He connected with a cross from Daniel Muñoz to score a powerful header in the 17th minute, according to a match report from The Guardian. That goal extended Palace’s aggregate cushion.
Fiorentina fought back immediately. Albert Gudmundsson converted a penalty in the 30th minute. Cher Ndour then launched a 25-yard strike into the net in the 53rd minute. The Italian club controlled the remainder of the game but failed to erase the massive first-leg deficit, as detailed by UEFA’s official statistics.
The progression came at a severe physical cost for the English club. Midfielder Adam Wharton left the pitch with a groin injury before half-time. Defender Maxence Lacroix was also forced off early with a knee problem.
Manager Oliver Glasner is applying the exact knockout blueprint he used to win the 2022 UEFA Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt. The victory officially disrupts Fiorentina’s established reign as the defining powerhouse of the competition. This victory sends shockwaves through English football. Crystal Palace will now face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals. The Ukrainian side advanced by defeating AZ Alkmaar 5-2 on aggregate.