Palace make the trip to Italy knowing that a successful defence of their hard work in South London last week will see the club reach heady heights they have never experience before.
While the Eagles take a three goal lead to Florence, they will be all too aware that they are facing a football club that have a lot of European experience.
Both sides enter the second leg off the back of wins in their respective domestic leagues – Fiorentina beating Lazio, while the Eagles fought back to snatch victory off Newcastle United.
Oliver Glasner took an opportunity to rest players from the starting line up on Sunday, but he did have to bring on the calvary to get the job done.
Jorgen Strand Larsen returns from suspension but Jean-Philippe Mateta is expected to start having score three goals in his last two games. Evan Guessand, who won the penalty to set the Eagles on their way in the first leg, will miss a few weeks due to injury so the Austrian will have a decision to make on who takes his place.
Yeremy Pino looks favourite after his cameo off the bench in the first leg, but did himself no favours in his start on Sunday against Newcastle. Glasner may instead go for a more defensive set up, but that remains to be seen.
One thing we can be sure of, the hosts will not be as poor as they were in South London last week, but that desperate performance may well be the difference between the two sides.
In an ideal world,, Palace will score in Florence to end any hopes the home side has of clawing back the deficit. Here’s hoping that ends up being the case.
Competition & Match Details
- Competition: UEFA Conference League – Quarter‑final (2nd leg)
- Date: Thursday 16 April 2026
- Kick‑off: 20:00 BST / 21:00 local time
- Venue: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
- TV (UK): TNT Sports 3
Aggregate Situation
Crystal Palace travel to Florence holding a commanding 3–0 aggregate lead, following a dominant first‑leg performance at Selhurst Park last week. Fiorentina therefore need a three‑goal win to force extra time, or four goals to progress outright — a tall order even with home advantage.
First‑Leg Recap
The first leg was a landmark night for Palace in their debut European campaign.
- Jean‑Philippe Mateta opened the scoring with a first‑half penalty.
- Tyrick Mitchell doubled the lead after reacting quickest to a rebound.
- Ismaïla Sarr added a late third to put the tie firmly in Palace’s control.
Crystal Palace were aggressive without the ball, clinical in transition and limited Fiorentina to few clear chances, despite David de Gea being busy in goal for the Italians.
Fiorentina: Situation & Approach
Fiorentina’s season has been one of recovery and survival domestically, but Europe remains their primary inspiration. Under Paolo Vanoli, the Viola have steadily improved in Serie A form, recently beating Lazio 1–0, and will hope that momentum carries into Thursday night.
Vanoli has stressed belief rather than calculation, stating the club must “dream again” in front of their supporters, even while admitting the task is extremely difficult after the London defeat.
Likely Fiorentina Tactics
Expect Fiorentina to:
- Start aggressively, pressing higher than in the first leg
- Push full‑backs (Dodô, Gosens) forward to overload wide areas
- Take more risks centrally through Mandragora and Fabbian
The main concern is defensive balance — conceding even once would almost certainly end the tie.
Crystal Palace: Situation & Confidence
Crystal Palace arrive in Italy with confidence reflecting both European and domestic form. Oliver Glasner’s side followed the Fiorentina win with a Premier League victory over Newcastle, extending their unbeaten run and confirming tactical cohesion.
Away from home, Palace have been particularly dangerous in Europe, scoring in eight consecutive away matches, and demonstrating an ability to absorb pressure before striking decisively.
Glasner has emphasised that Palace will not “defend the lead”, instead looking to control the game intelligently — something they did superbly across both legs against AEK Larnaca earlier in the competition.
Team News
- Fiorentina: No major new injury boosts; Moise Kean remains unavailable. David de Gea is expected to start again in goal.
- Crystal Palace: Eddie Nketiah is still sidelined, meaning Mateta should continue leading the line after his first‑leg impact. Evann Guessand misses out through injury.
Key Battles
- Mitchell vs Dodô: Palace’s left flank was decisive in the first leg and could be key again on the counter.
- Fabbian vs Wharton/Kamada: Fiorentina must dominate midfield creativity, while Palace will look to disrupt rhythm.
- Mateta vs Fiorentina centre‑backs: Palace’s outlet play could decide the tie if space opens up.
Officials
- Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)
- Assistants: Angel Nevado (ESP), Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
- Fourth official: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)
- VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
- Assistant VAR: Valentin Gomez (ESP)
What’s at Stake
- Crystal Palace: A place in the Conference League semi‑finals in their first ever European season, a historic achievement for the club.
- Fiorentina: Avoiding elimination and preserving their strong recent European pedigree, having reached multiple latter stages in this competition.
Match Outlook
Fiorentina will have spells of pressure, especially early, but Palace’s structure, confidence and three‑goal cushion make them clear favourites to progress. The game is likely to swing on whether the Italians can score early — without that, Palace can manage proceedings ruthlessly.
1 comment
I think Dodo is suspended, which is great news because he was their biggest attacking threat at Selhurst.
Comments are closed.