Analysis: Mateta wreaks havoc againpublished at 20:30 BST
20:30 BST
Ciaran Kelly Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Once upon a time, Oliver Glasner fretted about the limited options at his disposal as injuries ravaged his squad. Not any more.
The Crystal Palace manager turned to his impressive bench midway through the second half as he threw on Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, and in doing so he changed the outcome of this game.
The trio all played their part in the turnaround, but Mateta will rightly grab the attention at the end of a memorable week for the Crystal Palace striker.
Not only did Mateta end his goal drought and produce a devastating display in the 3-0 win against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday, but he followed that up with a superb cameo against Newcastle.
It summed up Crystal Palace's mentality.
It would have been easy for the Eagles to be distracted by their European adventure, but this side showed they are very much still fighting in the Premier League, too, as they look to maintain momentum and push to finish as high as they can.
No wonder Crystal Palace supporters are daring to dream.
With an eye on May's Europa Conference League final in Germany, they repeatedly chanted: "We're on our way, on our way. To Leipzig, we're on our way."
Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle: What Glasner, Mateta and Mitchell saidpublished at 16:41 BST
16:41 BST
Media caption,
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has been speaking after the win at Selhurst Park: "It's a deserved win because we applied a lot of pressure and kept believing. It was a very tight game, decided by fine margins. To get the turnaround and get the win is a lot of credit to the players. We had great impact from the bench again, which is good.
"It's not easy when you play every three days. Your energy levels are sometimes a bit low, so it helped us give some players rest. Others also did really well and worked hard. It is a boost for the players and a boost for Selhurst Park.
"It's not always easy to create momentum - and then you have to keep it and not throw it away. We are on track. We are looking forward to the last six and a half weeks."
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been speaking to Sky Sports about the performance: "We wanted that win. We are very happy to have won, especially at home as well. It means a lot that we have beaten a great team.
"We still have European football as well so this gives us a lot of energy. We have a big squad [to cope with it]. I hope we win our the next game as well."
On team-mate Tyrick Mitchell making his 200th Premier League appearance: "I'm always happy when he finds me in the box. He is my guy, I've been with him for a few years now. He is a fantastic team-mate and a machine."
Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell also spoke to Sky Sports: "It was a nice feeling. I was a bit tired towards the end, but it was nice to see the fans celebrating my 200th game. It's hard but you want to play. I'm more happy being tired than not playing."
Did you know?
Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 31 Premier League goals at Selhurst Park, with only Wilfried Zaha netting more on home soil for Crystal Palace in the competition (32).
Tyrick Mitchell made his 200th Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace, becoming just the fifth player in club history to hit that tally after Joel Ward (306), Wilfried Zaha (291), James McArthur (240) and Jeffrey Schlupp (220).
Crystal Palace v Newcastle: Team newspublished at 13:11 BST
13:11 BST
Image source, BBC Sport
Record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen starts as Crystal Palace make five changes for the visit of Newcastle United.
Manager Oliver Glasner has shuffled his pack following the Eagles' 3-0 win against Fiorentina in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie on Thursday night.
Larsen, Brennan Johnson, Yeremy Pino, Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes all come back into the side.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Tottenham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Manchester City".
Sutton's predictions: Crystal Palace v Newcastlepublished at 10:14 BST
10:14 BST
This game is sandwiched between both legs of Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League tie with Fiorentina and, now they are effectively safe from relegation, I wonder if boss Oliver Glasner will prioritise Europe?
That should increase Newcastle's chances but I'm not convinced by their recent form, especially on the road.
They have won on their past two visits to the capital, against Tottenham and Chelsea, but I don't see them getting three points here.
Eddie Howe needs a strong end to the season, but the fact they have lost both derby games against Sunderland, and are below them in the table too, is not really helping him.
I certainly don't think his job should be at risk, but there are a few fans who do.
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:03 BST 11 April
13:03 BST 11 April
Matt Jones BBC Sport journalist
Newcastle United need to inject some impetus into their toiling season on Sunday when they visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (14:00 BST) in the Premier League.
The Magpies have had three weeks to stew on their loss to bitter rivals Sunderland last time out. Eddie Howe's side have struggled for consistency this season, yet they remain just four points off the top seven going into the final stretch of top-flight games.
As for Palace, with Premier League safety virtually secured, their focus is on European competition - on Thursday they beat Fiorentina 3-0 at home in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final.
Palace priorities elsewhere?
There have been times this season when Palace's campaign has threatened to spiral out of control. But their depleted squad and departing head coach Oliver Glasner have just about kept things together.
The Eagles have a genuine shot at European glory in the Conference League, and that in turn would mean Europa League football next season. So it would be no surprise if Glasner's focus was mainly on the second-leg in Florence on Thursday.
Palace have found it hard to juggle their European and domestic commitments this campaign. They have only won one of their nine Premier League games that have immediately followed a Conference League clash.
That one success - against Wolves in Februrary - was also a rare one for the home crowd to enjoy - their only victory in the past 10 at Selhurst Park. Only Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur - both two - have fewer home wins this season than Palace's three.
A huge weakness for them in 2025–26 has been dealing with set pieces, and Newcastle do not represent an appealing match-up on that front.
Palace have conceded 43% of their Premier League goals this term from non-penalty set-pieces (15/35), which is the highest ratio of any side. Only Arsenal and Manchester United have scored more non-penalty set-piece goals than Newcastle in the same period.
Newcastle in need
At times, this season has promised plenty for Newcastle. But now it is on the brink of fizzling out.
The week before the recent break was billed as a huge one for the Magpies, and while it started well with a win at Chelsea, it quickly unravelled with a hammering by Barcelona and an agonising late loss to Sunderland.
With that in mind, the break may have come at a good time for the Newcastle squad. The same can be said for their manager Howe, who has been subject to increased scrutiny as the season has rolled on.
The Magpies boss is on the brink of a significant landmark at St James' Park, as he closes in on the number of wins accrued by legendary figures Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan.
Reaching the top of that list will count for little for Howe if Newcastle do not secure European football by the end of the campaign though you suspect.
Having struggled away from home earlier in the season, Newcastle may welcome a fixture away from St James' Park, where they have lost six of their past 10 matches in all competitions.
On the road, Newcastle's overall record leaves a lot to be desired, but there were signs of improvement before the Barcelona mauling, having won four of their previous five away matches.
Sarr as the great hope of Crystal Palace's seasonpublished at 22:13 BST 10 April
22:13 BST 10 April
Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Sarr scored in the first leg of Palace's Conference League quarter-final against Fiorentina. He has 16 goals and two assists in 33 games this season.
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr has stepped into the spotlight for his side amid a turbulent period marked by poor form, managerial uncertainty and major player departures.
The 28-year-old has remained at Selhurst Park despite the exits of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, while manager Oliver Glasner has announced he will leave at the end of the season. Jean‑Philippe Mateta also saw a deadline‑day move to AC Milan collapse in January after failing a medical.
Sarr's form has been a rare positive. His seven goals in his last 20 Premier League matches, along with four in seven Conference League games, earned him the club's player of the month award.
He also claimed goal of the month for a crucial strike against Tottenham, which helped ensure a recent dip in form did not develop into a shock relegation battle.
His finishing places him in the 81st percentile (before gameweek 32), while his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations helped Senegal win the tournament in Morocco – a title later stripped from them in the weeks that followed.
It leaves the forward, who is capable of playing across the frontline, attracting early interest from elsewhere, though he will still have three years remaining on his contract this summer.
It will be up to those at Palace to ensure history does not repeat itself, having previously lost key figures following recent success, including FA Cup glory last summer and a return to European competition for the first time in 18 years.
Glasner on Nketiah, rotation and Newcastle weaknessespublished at 14:23 BST 10 April
14:23 BST 10 April
Josh Lobley BBC Sport Journalist
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Newcastle at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Glasner said attackers Jorgen Strand Larsen and Christantus Uche will be available for Sunday's match, but the club still need to assess both Jean-Philippe Mateta and Evan Guessand before deciding if they are available.
Glasner confirmed Cheick Doucoure will not be available and that Eddie Nketiah will not play again this season.
More on team news: "We are not planning to rotate massively. Firstly because I am convinced that the players are fresher. Secondly, the best preparation for a game is a good performance in the previous one. We want to go to Florence with a good performance and a good result."
Glasner says he expects Newcastle to be the "fresher" side on Sunday given that they haven't played a match for three weeks, adding: "Eddie Howe's teams always play with some of the highest intensity in the Premier League, with so much pace".
He spoke more on the Magpies' weak points: "They conceded quite a lot of goals in their last few games before the [international] break, they can often concede two or three goals. If we are sharp and play our style, I am pretty convinced we can create three or four chances and then it's about being efficient from it - and also controlling their pace."
Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina - the fans' verdict published at 09:34 BST 10 April
09:34 BST 10 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Crystal Palace's 3-0 win over Fiorentina in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final.
Here are some of your comments:
Al: Palace of old - solid, dynamic and taking chances. Great result and feeling confident for a semi final place. The European dream is still on.
Andy: Great display, showed what they are capable of. Go on you Palace.
Steve: We were absolutely on fire in that first half, creating chance after chance with relentless service from the wings. It's some of the best football I've seen from Palace in a long time and we completely bullied them despite a few missed chances. The energy stayed high right to the end, with Munoz and Pino having a blast and that perfect Kamada cross for Sarr's header capping off a dominant performance.
Gary: Must be the best performance of the season. Dominating attacking performance apart from 20 mins in second half. We kept attacking to get the third goal when we could have settled for 2-0. I left the pub buzzing!!!
Gareth: Fantastic performance tonight from Palace. Mitchell was my MOTM with Sarr a close second. Probably Pino's most productive game since he arrived and changed the momentum in the second half. On our way to Leipzig.
Adrian: You can't stop us. European trophy next in the cabinet.
Paul: Fantastic performance, the best so far in the Conference League. Again, the officiating was awful, including the linesman somehow missing the ball bouncing over the line. Pino, once again, played well.
Hector: Great performance! Went to the game. Brilliant atmosphere and just played such nice football especially in the first half. Slouched off a bit between half time and the 60-minute mark but Pino was great when he came on. He brings flair - exactly what we needed. Also felt Canvot played extremely well and loved seeing him with loads of confidence. He looked like a different player from the start of the season. Through to the semi-final or is that a little to early to call?
Analysis: Mateta and Munoz shine as Eagles' European campaign ignitespublished at 23:14 BST 9 April
23:14 BST 9 April
Alex Brotherton BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
If there were any doubts about Jean-Philippe Mateta's commitment to the Crystal Palace cause after his failed January departure, they can be pushed aside for now.
The Eagles are in uncharted territory in European competition, and the sight of flags, banners and a barrage of white streamers as the players entered the pitch only added to the sense of occasion.
After a campaign that has teetered on the edge of crisis on several occasions, a quarter-final tie against a Fiorentina side who have reached the semi-finals in each of the past three seasons could have been a step too far.
But Mateta's bullish first-half performance summed up a Palace display far removed from the laboured outings typical of their campaign.
Before tonight Palace had missed 36 of their 46 big chances in the competition, more than any other side, and had scored only 16 goals from an xG rating of 23.1, the greatest underperformance of any team.
But on Thursday Oliver Glasner's side scored when they needed to – twice when dominant in the first half and then late on to kill off a resurgent fight back.
Glasner has drawn plenty of criticism from Palace fans in recent months, but he should take credit for bringing Daniel Munoz into the XI and introducing Yeremy Pino midway through the second half.
Munoz provided much-needed width and quality from the right flank, while Pino's energy and drive helped Palace reestablish the press that had Fiorentina hanging on before the break.
Palace rode their luck at times, but three more performances of that ilk should see them reach a first European final in club history.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina: What Glasner and Mateta saidpublished at 22:42 BST 9 April
22:42 BST 9 April
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking to TNT Sports: "More importantly for me was the performance, in the first half and then let's say the last 20 minutes. Brilliant, fantastic performance, great pressure, playing well and always attacking the box, the balls in behind. We knew that they are very compact but we were going in behind and creating so many chances, which was great to see."
On what he was frustrated about on the touchline: "We lost the ball too easily and quickly, the game was too wild, it was up and down, when you are 2-0 up, you should get more control. We had four or five easy ball losses and that gave the momentum to Fiorentina. I was pleased to see we didn't get frustrated against a very good team from Italy, kept our heads up and knew we could get the momentum again. In the end, we were really close to scoring the fourth goal and it was a great performance."
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta speaking to TNT Sports: "What a night. I dreamed about scoring that goal for nights. I did and I am so happy."
On whether he has a message to the fans: "They know me, I keep working hard. They know I am always here and hopefully we can finish the job in Italy."
Crystal Palace v Fiorentina: Team newspublished at 18:57 BST 9 April
18:57 BST 9 April
Oliver Glasner makes three changes to the Crystal Palace side that defeated AEK Larnaca three weeks ago.
Dean Henderson replaces Walter Benitez in goal, while Daniel Munoz comes in for Brennan Johnson.
With Jorgen Strand Larsen suspended, Jean-Philippe Mateta starts up front. Adam Wharton starts after recovering from an injury picked up during the international break.
Follow Thursday's European games livepublished at 18:43 BST 9 April
18:43 BST 9 April
There are three Europa League and Conference League fixtures involving Premier League clubs on Thursday night - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.
Fear, anger or excitement - how are Crystal Palace fans feeling?published at 17:31 BST 9 April
17:31 BST 9 April
The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.
Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.
So how are you feeling as a Crystal Palace fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?
The league form reads: WLWLWD
The next three league fixtures are: Newcastle (h), West Ham (h), Liverpool (a)
Gossip: Leeds to rival Palace for young midfielderpublished at 11:34 BST 9 April
11:34 BST 9 April
Leeds United are ready to rival Crystal Palace in the race to sign Hearts midfielder Alfie Osborne, 17, who could be signed for a modest compensation fee. (The Hard Tackle, external)
Returning to Palace after World Cup heartbreak 'a bit of fresh air' - Johnsonpublished at 08:45 BST 9 April
08:45 BST 9 April
Image source, Getty Images
Crystal Palace's Brennan Johnson says returning to the club after missing out on qualification for this summer's World Cup with Wales over the international break has "felt like a bit of fresh air".
The 24-year-old missed his penalty as Craig Bellamy's side lost a shoot-out to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off semi-finals.
"Of course everyone on the team was really upset," said Johnson.
"But coming back here, I had numerous messages from the fellas straight after the game and also the staff."
Palace return to action for the first time since 19 March when they host Fiorentina in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final on Thursday.
"It's felt like a bit of fresh air," Johnson added in the pre-match news conference.
"We've got some massive games to look forward to, so I think that's really helped in focusing on something else, and it's one we're all really excited for."
When asked about Palace being favourites to win the Conference League, Johnson, who signed from Europa League winners Tottenham in January, said: "Personally, I feel like I use that as confidence.
"When you get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and you're up against amazing teams, use it as confidence as much as we can, but at the same time know these teams provide real quality as well."
Glasner on Wharton's fitness, Nketiah's fresh injury & Fiorentinapublished at 14:10 BST 8 April
14:10 BST 8 April
Nat Hayward BBC Sport journalist
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League quarter-final first leg against Fiorentina at Selhurst Park (20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Glasner said Adam Wharton picked up a "minor adductor issue" while playing in England's friendly draw against Uruguay over the international break but "it's all sorted" and "is available" to play on Thursday.
On Wharton, he added: "The English team managed the minutes very well so we are very pleased that Adam also got a little bit of a break and then started preparing for the Fiorentina game by Sunday."
Glasner broke the news that Eddie Nketiah picked up a fresh injury in training: "It's how football is - it looks like everybody is available for tomorrow's game and it was, up until two minutes before the end of the session. Eddie unfortunately injured his hamstring again and had to leave the pitch. He won't make tomorrow's squad and we will have a scan again but it doesn't look good again for him."
Glasner added: "He was very disappointed and we are suffering with him. The worst thing as a player is when you are injured, especially when you have setbacks, and that makes it really tough for Eddie. Like always he will have all our support to come back. We will know more tomorrow."
On the fitness of the rest of his squad, Glasner said: "All the others are available. On Sunday we trained with 23 outfield players for the first time this season. It's how it is."
On the international break: "We managed these three weeks quite well for everyone. I spent some time with the family, then we started with the players who were here - seven players plus a few from our under-21s. We started two weeks before tomorrow's game, and we had an in-house game with our under-21s to stay in the rhythm. All internationals had minutes with their national teams, then all the internationals had a few days off after the game - we could afford this."
How did he spend his personal time? "When I went home my calendar was empty and I was a bit nervous about what to do because I'm not used to it, but then I went skiing in the mountains, it was good, for two days, and I spent some time with the family."
On the challenge posed by Fiorentina: "On Saturday, I went to Verona to watch Fiorentina. On Sunday, we were all together and started to prepare. We had quite a lot of time to prepare - we feel ready and we're looking ready."
Image source, Getty Images
