Conference League quarter-final second leg: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace facts
Friday, April 10, 2026
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First-time European quarter-finalists Crystal Palace take a three-goal advantage to Italy as their UEFA Conference League quarter-final with two-time runners-up Fiorentina comes to a conclusion.
The first leg at Selhurst Park on 9 April ended in a 3-0 win for the hosts, who were two goals in front before half-time through Jean-Philippe Mateta (24pen) and Tyrick Mitchell (31), before Ismaïla Sarr (90) added a late third.
Fiorentina won 2-1 both home and away against Raków in the round of 16, having needed extra time to see off another Polish side in the knockout phase play-offs, beating Jagiellonia 5-4 on aggregate (3-0 a, 2-4 aet). They had a record of W3 L3 in the league phase, which resulted in a 15th-place finish.
Palace edged past AEK Larnaca in the round of 16, Ismaïla Sarr scoring twice as they earned a 2-1 win after extra-time in Greece, the first leg at Selhurst Park having finished goalless. Palace had finished tenth with as many points in the league phase and subsequently beat Zrinjski 3-1 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs (1-1 a, 2-0 h).
Last match
This first leg was the teams' first meeting and Palace's debut fixture against an Italian team.
It was Fiorentina's first match against a team from England since a 1-2 defeat by West Ham in the 2023 Conference League final in Prague. They have now lost their last three matches against Premier League clubs.
The Italian side are unbeaten in six encounters with English visitors (W4 D2), most recently drawing 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of a round of 32 tie in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League. They lost the second leg 0-3 in England in one of only three two-legged ties against English opposition; Fiorentina had won the first two.
Palace are the seventh Premier League club to face Fiorentina, who have won six of their 14 contests against English opposition (D3 L5). They are, however, winless in their last four (D1 L3), since a 2-0 home victory against Tottenham in the second leg of the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32, which completed a 3-1 aggregate success.
Fiorentina have reached at least the semi-finals in each of their three UEFA Conference League entries prior to this season, and were beaten finalists in both 2022/23 (1-2 vs West Ham in Prague) and 2023/24 (0-1 aet vs Olympiacos in Athens). This is therefore their fourth consecutive quarter-final in the competition, having never previously lost at this stage.
European Cup Winners' Cup winners in 1960/61, when they beat Rangers 4-1 over two legs (2-0 a, 2-1 h), Fiorentina were also European Cup finalists in 1956/57, losing 0-2 to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
This is only Palace's second season in UEFA competition and a first since their 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup campaign where they lost 0-4 on aggregate against Samsunspor in the third round (0-2 h, 0-2 a).
The Eagles are featuring in a major European quarter final for the first time. They are the fifth English club to reach the last eight of the Conference League after Leicester (2021/22), West Ham (2022/23), Aston Villa (2023/24) and Chelsea (2024/25) — all of whom won their quarter final ties.
Key stats
Fiorentina have won ten of their 11 European quarter‑finals, the only exception a 3-1 aggregate defeat by Celtic (0-3 a, 1-0 h) in the 1969/70 European Cup. They were 4-3 winners against Celje at this stage of last season's Conference League (2-1 a, 2-2 h).
The first-leg loss at Palace was only the Italian side's fifth in their 23 European quarter‑final matches (W13 D5).
The Viola have lost only two of their last 20 home European games (W13 D5).
Fiorentina have won 15 of their last 16 two-legged European ties.
The Florence club have lost all three European ties in which they were beaten by a three-goal margin in the first leg.
In the round of 16 second leg, the Viola became the first team to play 50 matches in the Conference League, Matchday 1 to final.
Palace are unbeaten in their last seven Conference League matches (W4 D3), keeping four clean sheets.
The London club have won their last three two-legged European ties.
Palace have lost only one of their six away games in this season's competition (W3 D2).
The Eagles have won their last three UEFA two-legged ties.
This is the first time Palace have gone into a European second leg with a three‑goal lead.