CRYSTAL PALACE 3-0 FIORENTINA: Goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Tyrick Mitchell and Ismaila Sarr gave Crystal Palace a lead to protect in their Conference League quarter-final
Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates after scoring for Crystal Palace
Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates after scoring for Crystal Palace(Image: Steve Bardens/AMA)
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Jean-Philippe Mateta scored on his first Crystal Palace start since January as the Eagles gave themselves a lead to protect against Fiorentina in the Conference League. The striker, who might have left Selhurst Park in the winter were it not for an untimely injury, broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after Evann Guessand was felled in the box.
Tyrick Mitchell doubled Palace’s lead to keep alive their chances of European glory as they shook off the absence of suspended record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen. They will travel to Italy next week full of confidence, with Sarr's last-gasp header putting extra gloss on the scoreline.
Mateta looked up for the challenge long before he broke the deadlock. He gave the visitors a warning inside the first 10 minutes, rising highest to meet a Daniel Munoz cross but failing to find the target.
Two-time Conference League runners-up Fiorentina sent a reminder that they weren’t just there to make up the numbers. Giovanni Fabbian was afforded too much space between the lines but when he sent the ball across the Palace area the resulting shot from Robin Gosens was wild and flashed well wide.
Right wing-back Munoz has been a big part of Palace’s best attacking play this term. And it was no different this time around as he intercepted a loose pass to start the move which saw Oliver Glasner’s men awarded a penalty midway through the first half.
Evann Guessand had already got a weak shot away when right-back Dodo caught him on the follow-through but referee Donatas Rumsas pointed to the spot and VAR saw no reason to overturn. Mateta stepped up calmly, waiting for De Gea to blink first and rolling the ball into the back of the net.
Munoz had a big part to play in Palace’s second as well but it was his fellow wing-back Tyrick Mitchell who got the finishing touch. Daichi Kamada’s ball over the Fiorentina defence was weighted perfectly and Munoz unselfishly opted to play the ball across for Mateta. De Gea brilliantly kept out the striker’s effort but there was nothing he could do as Mitchell followed up from close range.
Ismaila Sarr celebrates after scoring for Crystal Palace
Ismaila Sarr was also on the scoresheet for Palace(Image: Ryan Pierse)
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Fiorentina, without injured striker Moise Kean, huffed and puffed against a Palace side who largely outfought them in key areas. Manager Paolo Vanoli gave his starters a chance to gain a foothold after the break and they almost managed it five minutes into the second half.
Dodo broke down the right and fed Fabbian in space outside the box. But the winger - one of the visitors’ brighter sparks up to that point - saw his shot clip the top of Dean Henderson’s bar rather than dipping under it.
Palace could have all but ended it moments later, only for Kamada to hit the side netting as he tried to catch De Gea out at his near post. Henderson was kept a little busier after the break, saving from Albert Gudmundsson and Roberto Piccoli as the visitors knocked on the door but Palace were more than content to bide their time and hit Fiorentina on the break when chances came.
There were plenty of opportunities even before Sarr met Kamada's 90th-minute cross to leave Fiorentina with a mountain to climb. And it could even have been four as substitute Yeremy Pino lifted the ball over De Gea but saw Dodo mop up behind the keeper.
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