Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace Preview at 02:00 on April 17, UEFA Conference League Quarter-Final Second Leg

Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace Preview (02:00, April 17). Predicted result, expected lineups, expert analysis for the Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace match in the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 quarter-final second leg.

Match Preview: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace

Fiorentina finds itself in an extremely difficult position following a heavy 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the first leg at Selhurst Park. This marks the first time the Italian side faces such a significant uphill task in the Conference League quarter-finals.

Despite an impressive record in this round with 10 wins in 11 previous appearances, history does not favor Fiorentina, as they have been eliminated three times after trailing heavily in the first leg. This makes their chances of progressing quite fragile.

Nevertheless, Fiorentina recently secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Lazio in Serie A, virtually ensuring their league survival. This could provide a morale boost for a more positive performance at home.

However, Fiorentina's biggest issue is their scoring efficiency. They need at least three goals to force extra time, while their attacking form in European competition this season has not been particularly impressive.

On the other side, Crystal Palace holds a massive advantage. The 3-0 first-leg win demonstrated the effectiveness of manager Oliver Glasner's tactics, especially in the first half where they completely dominated.

Palace's form is also formidable, having lost only one of their last ten matches across all competitions. Notably, forward Ismaila Sarr is in high form in the Conference League with six goals, including four in the knockout stages. Additionally, Jean-Philippe Mateta is also "in form" with three goals in the last two matches. The sharpness of their attack gives Palace multiple options to finish off opponents, particularly in counter-attacking situations.

Although this is Palace's first time entering a second leg with such a large advantage in Europe, their current form and confidence give them ample ability to control the match. Fiorentina will be forced to push high for goals, which could create an open game but also exposes them to the risk of counter-attacks.

Squad Status: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace

Fiorentina: Dodo suspended; Tariq Lamptey injured; Moise Kean's availability uncertain; Parisi, Fortini may not play.

Crystal Palace: Eddie Nketiah, Cheick Doucoure injured; Evann Guehi's availability uncertain.

Expected Lineups: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace

Fiorentina (4-3-3): De Gea; Comuzzo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fabbian, Fagioli, Ndour; Harrison, Piccoli, Gudmundsson.

Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Pino.

Fiorentina Form

13/04/26: Fiorentina 1-0 Lazio (Serie A)

10/04/26: Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina (Conference League)

06/04/26: Fiorentina 1-1 Torino (Serie A)

30/03/26: Napoli 2-1 Fiorentina (Serie A)

15/03/26: Fiorentina 2-0 Verona (Serie A)

Crystal Palace Form

10/04/26: Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina (Conference League)

06/04/26: Crystal Palace 2-1 West Ham (Premier League)

30/03/26: Man United 2-1 Crystal Palace (Premier League)

15/03/26: Crystal Palace 2-0 AEK Larnaca (Conference League)

08/03/26: Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle (Premier League)

Head-to-History: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace

10/04/26: Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina (Conference League)

Predicted Result: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace

Fiorentina has home advantage and is likely to play aggressively to seek an early goal. However, a three-goal deficit is too large to overcome, especially given Crystal Palace's stable form and sharp attack.

The English side may not need to win, but they have sufficient capability to maintain their advantage and secure a spot in the semi-finals.

Predicted Score: Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace: 2-1 (Crystal Palace advances with an aggregate score of 4-2)