Ismaïla Sarr leads Crystal Palace charge into Fiorentina quarter-final test

Crystal Palace travel to Italy with a strong advantage in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final tie, while Senegalese winger Ismaïla Sarr looks to close in on the competition’s top scorers and guide his side into the last four.

The London club take on Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday at 7:00 PM GMT, holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg at Selhurst Park.

Oliver Glasner’s side produced one of their most complete European performances of the season in that home fixture, combining defensive discipline with an effective attacking display to take control of the tie.

Despite the significant deficit, Fiorentina arrive with a reputation for resilience in European competition.

The Italian side, finalists in both 2023 and 2024, have previously shown their ability to overturn setbacks, including a notable comeback against FC Basel in the 2022-23 semi-final when they recovered from a one-goal first-leg defeat to win 3-1 in the return match.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are aiming to build on recent domestic success, having added both the FA Cup and Community Shield to their honours in a strong period for the club.

A place in the semi-finals of European competition would represent another major step forward in their development under Glasner.

Much of Palace’s confidence going into the second leg will rest on the form of Ismaïla Sarr. The Senegal international has been one of the standout attacking players for the English side this season, contributing 16 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions.

In Europe, Sarr has been particularly influential, scoring six times in the Conference League. That tally places him just two goals behind the competition’s current joint top scorers, Marius Mouandilmadji of Samsunspor and Lech Poznań’s Mikael Ishak.

With a semi-final place within reach for Crystal Palace and individual honours still up for grabs, Sarr heads into the second leg with both team and personal ambitions firmly in focus.

A strong performance in Florence could further enhance his impact in what has already been a productive campaign.