By SCM, Sports Desk at Selhurst Park
CRYSTAL PALACE took a massive step toward European glory last night, dismantling Italian giants Fiorentina 3-0 in a Selhurst Park atmosphere that could have powered the National Grid.
On a night where South London felt like the center of the footballing universe, Oliver Glasner’s men didn’t just beat the Viola—they left them black and blue. It was a tactical masterclass led by the returning Jean-Philippe Mateta, who proved he’s still the king of the Holmesdale Road.
All eyes were on Mateta after his January move to AC Milan collapsed, but the Frenchman showed no signs of a hangover. In the 24th minute, after Evann Guessand was clumsily hauled down by Dodo, Mateta stepped up to the spot.
With the coolness of a man ordering a pint at the local, he rolled the ball past David de Gea and unleashed his trademark corner-flag-kick celebration. The drought was over, and the roof nearly came off the stadium.
Palace smelled blood. Just seven minutes later, it was 2-0. Daniel Muñoz, who was a constant thorn in the Italians’ side, whipped in a cross that Mateta nearly converted. While De Gea pulled off a wonder-save from point-blank range, he could only parry it into the path of Tyrick Mitchell. The local lad made no mistake, slamming the rebound home to send the Eagles into dreamland before the break.
Fiorentina tried to rally in the second half, with Giovanni Fabbian rattling the woodwork, but the Palace defense—anchored by the imperious Maxence Lacroix—was a fortress.
The knockout blow arrived in the 90th minute. Substitute Daichi Kamada delivered a “delicious” cross that Ismaïla Sarr met with a towering header, burying it into the corner. 3-0. Game, set, and match.
The first step is made,” a beaming Oliver Glasner said after the whistle. “We know how strong we are at home, but the job isn’t finished until we go to Italy.”
If Palace play like this in Florence next week, the semi-finals aren’t just a dream—they’re a date with destiny.
