March 19 2026

Larnaca 1-2 Palace

Crystal Palace reached the Conference League quarter-finals after beating AEK Larnaca 2-1 after extra time in Cyprus.

Ismaila Sarr gave Oliver Glasner’s side an early lead in the 13th minute after rounding goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic.

But Palace were pegged back in the second half when Enric Saborit headed home from a Marcus Rohden corner on 63 minutes.

Larnaca’s task became harder 10 minutes later when Saborit was sent off for a second yellow card, yet the tie still went to extra time after the goalless first leg at Selhurst Park.

Palace finally made their advantage count in the 99th minute, when Sarr turned in Daichi Kamada’s low cross from close range to seal a last-eight meeting with Fiorentina.

The visitors might have won by more, with Sarr hitting the bar twice in search of a hat-trick and Jorgen Strand Larsen also striking the post.

The closing stages were ill-tempered, with Larnaca reduced to nine men after Petros Ioannou was dismissed for a wild challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta, while home supporters threw objects on to the pitch.

In the end, Palace had their revenge for the league-phase defeat to the Cypriot side at Selhurst Park in October.

Larnaca: Alomerovic, Godswill, Milicevic, Saborit, Garcia (Gurfinkel 79), Ioannou, Pons (Mudrazija 105), Ledes, Rohden (Kyriakou 89), Bajic (Cabrera 76, Rubio 112), Ivanovic (Roberge 79).

Not used: Paraskevas, Dimitriou, Loukaidis, Gonzalez.

Palace: Benitez, Richards (Lerma 76), Lacroix, Canvot (Mateta 83), Johnson (Munoz 60), Wharton (Hughes 119), Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Guessand (Pino 76), Strand Larsen.

Not used: Matthews, Izquierdo, Clyne, Riad, Sosa, Cardines, Devenny.