Crystal Palace 2-1 (5-2 aggregate): FA Cup holders Crystal Palace have secured a place in this season’s Conference League final and have their sights set on more silver medals.
Ismaila Sarr has scored 19 goals this season (Image: Getty Images)
Crystal Palace took flight when Oliver Glasner confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season in January. Four months later, Austria’s irrepressible Eagles are now surging towards conference league supremacy. If winning the FA Cup has already exceeded supporters’ imaginations, they still have 90 minutes left to go one better. Continental glory with Leipzig, including qualification to the Europa League, is certainly within reach. The truth is, it’s no secret that there was a lot of hard work done in Krakow last week, but Palace have never done things half-heartedly under ambitious Glasner. Spain’s Rayo Vallecano, who secured victory with a disappointing own goal and Ismaila Sarr’s 19th goal in all competitions, were waiting.
After Shakhtar frontman Kaua Elias dragged a modest shot home and overcoming an early scare, Palace thought they had moved on.
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Chris Richards hit a long-range shot, Jean-Philippe Mateta deftly pushed a header in from behind, and Yérémy Pinot raced through to finish calmly, but a VAR check ruled him offside. Fifteen minutes later, a hungry Palace scored the dagger they sorely needed in the first half. Adam Wharton dropped his shoulder to create some yardage and fired a powerful shot that Shakhtar stopper Dmytro Riznik flicked away to the side of the box. Jet heel Daniel Munoz was the first to react, his cutback attempt deflected by Pedro Enrique and floundered against the post. A noisy Selhurst Park erupted, but the security of a three-goal cushion did not last long. The Ukrainians soon regained a glimmer of hope when Eguinaldo scored a stunning goal, calmly slotting it into the top corner of Dean Henderson’s goal. When Glassner turned away in disappointment, it was a harsh reminder that the work was not done yet. Palace’s defensive shape and compactness created space on the counter-attack, as it has done throughout the 51-year-old’s tenure.
Crystal Palace qualify for the Conference League final (Image: Getty Images)
Muñoz, Colombia’s cheat code, raced up the wing and met the wing-back’s floating cross, which Mateta met with an acrobatic bicycle kick that shook the post. Henderson had to be alert to prevent Kaua Elias’ low drive, but it proved to be a vital stop, and Palace were back in front on the night soon after. Ismaila Sarr darted into the box and slotted home Tyrick Mitchell’s dangerous low shot, sending a noisy Selhurst Park into a state of jubilation. The Senegal international arrived in south-east London in August 2024 with battered confidence after 13 torturous months at Marseille. But the stats speak for themselves, with six conference league goals in their last five trips to Europe. The former Watford winger, who showed flashes of his talent at Vicarage Road, has already repaid his £12.5m transfer fee in full and then some. If Palace get him over the line against Germany on May 27th, he will go down as the best purchaser in the club’s illustrious 165-year history.
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