Larnaca 1-2 Crystal Palace (1-2 agg): Saborit 63; Sarr 13, 99
What would Crystal Palace do without Ismaila Sarr? The Senegal international’s 15 goals this season has the south London club comfortable enough in the Premier League and now riding on to the last eight of the Conference League.
It is only their first time in Europe but how much further could they go? Victory over Larnaca means Oliver Glasner’s side can prepare for a meeting with Fiorentina and if they can triumph in that tie, then perhaps a trophy for the second consecutive season could be on the cards.
Not that this was straightforward for Palace. After the draw in England last week they needed to come to Cyprus and win. They were well on their way inside 13 minutes, courtesy of Sarr. Jorgen Strand Larsen showed strength to hold up play before slipping the ball to Adam Wharton, who found Sarr with the help of a deflection. The Senegal international showed characteristic composure to round Zlatan Alomerovic and roll the ball into the empty net.
Palace rightly pushed for more assurance than a single-goal lead could provide but, like last week in London, they were unable to convert all of their possession into something more tangible. In the second half, Marcus Rohden’s corner kick was headed in by Enric Saborit after the Larnaca player had been left unattended.
There was more urgency from the visitors now and Alomerovic produced a brilliant double save to deny Wharton and then Daniel Munoz on the follow-up to keep the score level. But the advantage was firmly with Glasner’s side after Enric Saborit’s recklessness earned him a second yellow card, having hauled back the irrepressible Sarr.
Larnaca have shown they have the heart to defend and so they did. The game moved into extra time and there was concern now before Palace found the breakthrough. Sarr was again the nerve-centre. After a short corner, Wharton found Daichi Kamada, who drove into the box and then pulled back a low cross that Sarr swept into the net.
The forward could have had a third but his first effort hit the crossbar before he was again denied by the post. Strand Larsen also hit the woodwork as Palace turned the screw.
The visitors had a late scare when the referee pointed to the spot for a Jean-Philippe Mateta handball. VAR brought reprieve. The pressure then told on Larnaca and they were reduced to nine men, Petros Ioannou shown a straight red for a dangerous lunge on Mateta.
