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Crystal Palace lose 2-1 at Fiorentina but reach Conference League semis 4-2 on aggregate, will face Shakhtar Donetsk, Strasbourg and Rayo Vallecano meet in other semi
Crystal Palace clinched a last-four spot in the third-tier Conference League despite a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina (AP)
Crystal Palace suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Fiorentina on Thursday but still advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
They will now face Shakhtar Donetsk for a place in the final.
How Crystal Palace Booked Semis Spot?
Despite holding a comfortable first-leg advantage, Crystal Palace were made to work hard in Florence. Ismaila Sarr gave the visitors an early lead, but goals from Albert Gudmundsson and Cher Ndour ensured a nervy night for Oliver Glasner’s side. Injuries to key players Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix added to their concerns, but they ultimately held on to progress in their debut European campaign.
“This is unbelievable for this football club, sensational when you think about the FA Cup last season and then to keep going and create a new chapter,” Palace captain Dean Henderson was quoted as saying to TNT Sports.
“3-0 (first-leg lead) is a dangerous score and you don’t really know how it will go. We managed to get through, so who cares?”
“We expected Fiorentina to try everything and that’s what they did,” manager Oliver Glasner said after the win.
“As a team I think we defended very well and didn’t give them a big chance after they took the lead, and over the two legs I think we deserved to qualify for the semi-finals,” he added.
Palace’s semi-final opponents Shakhtar progressed after a 2-2 draw with AZ Alkmaar secured a 5-2 aggregate win.
Who Else Booked Semi-Final Spots?
Elsewhere, Strasbourg staged an impressive comeback, thrashing Mainz 4-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit and book a last-four clash with Rayo Vallecano.
Rayo advanced despite losing 3-1 to AEK Athens in the second leg, edging through 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a crucial goal from Isi Palazon.
The semi-final first legs are scheduled for April 30, with Shakhtar and Rayo hosting. The tournament final will take place on May 27 at the RB Stadium in Leipzig, Germany.
(With inputs from Agencies)
London, United Kingdom (UK)
April 17, 2026, 08:20 IST
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