Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner named a strong side for the club’s Conference League quarter-final second leg against Fiorentina this evening.
With West Ham due at Selhurst Park on Monday night, there had been some expectation Glasner might rotate, especially with a 3-0 first-leg lead. Instead, he went strong — clearly prioritising European progress.
Palace go strong despite advantage
In truth, it’s not a huge surprise.
A win over Newcastle last weekend took Palace to 42 points, effectively securing their Premier League status and giving them the freedom to focus on Europe.
And when you’re chasing a trophy, you go for it.
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Tie turns into a contest
Glasner’s decision was quickly justified.
Ismaïla Sarr gave Palace an early goal to extend the aggregate lead to 4-0, but Fiorentina responded with two quick goals to make it a contest.
In the end, Palace got the job done — but not without being pushed.
Potential injury concern for Palace
The bigger takeaway from a West Ham perspective could be fitness.
There are early signs Palace may have picked up a few knocks, which could leave them slightly weakened ahead of Monday night’s clash.
We’ll know more once the club release an official update and we’ll get back to you in the morning on injuries to key men Wharton and Lacroix.
One eye on Europe?
For now, it certainly looks like Palace have more than one eye on their European campaign.
And rightly so.
Opportunity for West Ham
From a West Ham perspective, that could be significant.
If Palace rotate or carry a few tired legs, it presents Nuno and his side with a real opportunity to pick up three valuable points on the road.