palace score proved decisive as Crystal Palace beat AEK Larnaca 2-1 in the last-16 second leg to reach the Conference League quarter-finals; Ismaila Sarr scored and Palace held on despite Larnaca finishing with nine men. Aston Villa hold a 1-0 advantage from their Europa League first leg, and Nottingham Forest and Midtjylland are set to settle their tie on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate finish. All outcomes come from the last-16 second-leg action across the Europa and Conference competitions.
Palace Score: Palace hold on to beat Larnaca and draw Fiorentina in quarters
Crystal Palace won 2-1 at AEK Larnaca on the night and 2-1 on aggregate, with the tie ending AEK Larnaca 1-2 Crystal Palace (agg 1-2). Ismaila Sarr struck again to give Palace the edge and the visitors weathered a late scare as Larnaca were reduced to nine men and could not overturn the deficit. Palace will now face Fiorentina in the quarter-finals next month, the tie confirmed after Palace held on through the closing stages.
Midtjylland 1-2 Nottingham Forest finished level on aggregate at 2-2, sending that tie to penalties, while Aston Villa began their last-16 encounter with a 1-0 first-leg win over Lille and carry a slender advantage into the next match. The palace score that settled the Conference tie came amid heavy pressure and a numerical advantage for Palace late on.
Immediate reactions from the ground
“Villa are doing their best to pick up the pace, they have been slow. There’s been a lack of communication between players. I want to see more, ” said Dion Dublin, former Aston Villa striker, reflecting on Villa Park play. Nick Mashiter, football news reporter at Villa Park, added, “It’s been quite a flat opening 20 minutes at Villa Park. Villa are comfortable and Lille are yet to threaten but while the hosts only have a one-goal lead the anxiety will remain. “
Players and officials on the night created a tense finish across the fixtures: Palace survived a late Larnaca free-kick where the visiting goalkeeper joined the attack before Palace cleared and nearly extended the lead, and Forest saw a late winner disallowed by VAR before the match moved to the spot shootout phase.
What’s next
Palace prepare for a quarter-final tie against Fiorentina next month after that decisive palace score. Nottingham Forest and Midtjylland will settle their tie in a penalty shootout, with Forest going first from the spot, and Aston Villa will look to build on their 1-0 first-leg advantage when the return fixture resumes the competition schedule. Expect tight preparations, team news and tactical adjustments as clubs turn quickly to the next stages of both competitions.
