Crystal Palace has achieved a significant European milestone, booking their place in the Conference League quarterfinals with an extra-time victory over nine-man AEK Larnaca. Manager Oliver Glasner lauded the achievement after Ismaïla Sarr's crucial goal secured a quarterfinal clash against Fiorentina.

The journey to the quarterfinals saw Palace draw the first leg 0-0. In the decisive second leg in Cyprus, Sarr put Palace ahead in the 13th minute. However, AEK Larnaca's defender Enric Saborit leveled the score in the 63rd minute. The match took a turn when Saborit was sent off 10 minutes later after receiving a second yellow card. Sarr then sealed the victory, scoring to make it 2-1 nine minutes into extra time. He came close to a hat-trick twice, clipping the crossbar on both occasions, with the second attempt coming after Larnaca had been further reduced to nine men following Petros Ioannou's dismissal.

Reflecting on the triumph, Glasner told TNT Sports, "It's a huge achievement." He expressed anticipation for the upcoming match against Fiorentina at Selhurst Park, noting the three-week preparation period. The team plans to have a few days off, allow players to join their national teams, and then prepare with a friendly match to maintain rhythm. Glasner also mentioned expecting Eddie Nketiah back, emphasizing that "everybody will help us" given the tight schedule until the end of the season, with hopes for their European journey to continue.

Ismaïla Sarr, who joined Palace from Marseille in August 2024 for a reported £12.6 million, has consistently justified his transfer fee by scoring crucial goals when the team needs them most. His impact extends beyond the Conference League; he previously scored a second-half brace against Aston Villa, which propelled the south Londoners into last season's FA Cup final at Wembley, where Palace secured their first major trophy and qualified for proper European competition for the first time. Sarr also scored the equalizer that forced a penalty shootout in their Community Shield victory over Liverpool, where he successfully converted one of the spot-kicks. The winner against AEK Larnaca was his fifth Conference League goal of the campaign, a testament to his decisive contributions.

Palace midfielder Adam Wharton praised Sarr, telling TNT, "[Sarr] has been doing well in the Premier League as well. He's been scoring a lot of goals, getting a lot of assists, and he's so quick. Especially against these teams, if you get that little bit of space in behind because they are so compact, it works wonders having him, so we're really happy to have him."