- Lead: Crystal Palace hold a commanding 3 - 0 lead from the first leg.
- League position: Fiorentina are 16th in Serie A with just 32 points from 31 games.
- European form: Crystal Palace have been in good form in Europe this season.
Eagles can soar to semis
Crystal Palace will take a comfortable 3-0 lead into the second leg of their UEFA Conference League quarter-final against AC Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday. The Eagles have a terrific opportunity to progress into the semis and possibly even the final of the competition after blowing Fiorentina away at Selhurst Park in the first leg.
This is the first competitive meeting between the two clubs, but the difference in quality between the sides was evident from the very first whistle in south London. Palace’s high-intensity pressing and high-tempo game suited the occasion perfectly, with their front four, particularly Ismaïla Sarr, creating havoc for the visiting defence.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, returning to the Palace starting XI, slotted the penalty that put the hosts 3-0 up on the night and the Frenchman’s clinical touch will be needed again on Thursday if Palace are to wrap this tie up.
Viola can come on strong at home
Manager and tactics
Paolo Vanoli has done a good job to steady the ship at Fiorentina since taking over in November and his flexible tactical approach has given the club a chance of a European final. Fiorentina are a possession-based team that prefers to build up the play in a structured and methodical way, overloading wide areas and playing at a tempo that will suit their midfielders, Giovanni Fabbian and Daichi Kamada.
Players to influence
The Japanese number 10 will need to get more involved after a fairly quiet first-leg performance, but this game could be settled by Palace’s ability to attack on the break. Moise Kean remains Fiorentina’s top scorer in Serie A, but they will need him and others to be on form if they are to force extra time at home, needing at least three unanswered goals to do so.
Palace are up to the task
Glasner’s system is a good fit for Palace’s personnel and it produced a masterclass against Fiorentina in the first-leg.
A wet and windy night in Florence will make this even more of a defensive battle for both sides, with set pieces likely to play a role in the match.
It’s likely to be a cagey affair, but Palace’s away-game management and counter-attacking options should be enough to see them through. Backing the Eagles to qualify is the way to go in this one, with Palace 2.56 to win the second leg, Fiorentina 2.72 and a draw 3.2.
- Oliver Glasner’s side play a vertical game, pressing hard and then hitting on the turn with tempo when they win the ball back.
- The wing-back Tyrick Mitchell on the left contributed both defensively and offensively with a goal and is key to Palace’s build-up play.
- Robin Gosens and Fabiano Parisi are key players in Fiorentina’s new back four and their ability to provide width and defend against Palace’s counters will be crucial.
