Report & Highlights: Palace’s super Sarr sees Eagles into European quarter-final

With the tie level after a goalless first leg at Selhurst Park, Sarr – ever-involved throughout – put Palace ahead inside quarter-of-an-hour with a clinical finish from Adam Wharton’s clipped pass, only the second goal Larnaca had conceded in the competition this season.

The hosts did equalise in the second-half when Enric Saborit powered home a bullet header, 10 minutes before being sent off for a second bookable offence.

Despite their dominance, Palace were unable to breach Larnaca’s defence again inside 90 minutes, but did restore their advantage early in extra-time – Sarr slamming home again from close range.

There was a frantic finale as Petros Ioannou was shown a straight red for a high challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Sarr hit the woodwork for a second time on the night - but eventually, the Eagles progressed in typically dramatic fashion, as the European adventure continued.

Summary:

• Two changes for Palace as Wharton and Kamada return to the midfield.
• 4: Sarr gets onto the end of Strand Larsen’s cushioned pass and hits side-netting.
• 13 – GOAL: Wharton’s sweeping first-time pass is converted clinically by Sarr.
• 22: The Senegal forward heads home Kamada’s cross, but is ruled offside.
• 24: Mitchell makes a vital intervention to prevent Pons tapping in Ivanovic’s pull-back.
• 45: Lacroix is denied twice at the back post by Alomerovic.
• HT: AEK Larnaca 0-1 Palace (0-1 agg.)
• 60: Muñoz makes his return from injury on the hour mark.
• 63 – Goal: Saborit powers home a header from a corner to level up the tie.
• 70: Wharton and Muñoz are both denied by Alomerovic in quick succession.
• 73 – RED CARD: Saborit is sent off for a second yellow after upending Sarr.
• 86: Sarr's header is cleared off the line as Palace continue to plug.
• FT: AEK Larnaca 1-1 Palace (1-1 agg.)
• 96: Sarr runs in behind to meet Pino’s dinked pass, but overcooks his header.
• 99 – GOAL: The striker slams home Kamada’s pull-back to restore the Eagles’ lead.
• 105: Sarr curls against the bar and Strand Larsen heads against the post.
• HT in ET: AEK Larnaca 1-2 Palace (1-2 agg.)
• 110: Palace press for a third, Pino and Mitchell heavily involved down the left.
• 116: Larnaca have two rare late attacks, but appeals for penalties are turned down.
• 120+4 – RED CARD: Ioannou is shown a straight red after a high challenge on Mateta.
• 120+5: Sarr hits the post with the goal at his mercy after Alomerovic comes up for a free-kick.
• FT in ET: AEK Larnaca 1-2 Palace (1-2 agg.)

Looking to score against AEK Larnaca’s defence, the strongest in the UEFA Conference League this season – with six clean sheets in seven matches – Oliver Glasner had expressed his confidence that Palace’s players could find the breakthrough required to seal the Round of 16 tie in Cyprus.

As a result, the Manager named an unchanged outfield XI from that which began the first leg at Selhurst Park, with the only change – in goal – seeing Walter Benítez replace the ill Dean Henderson.

With Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton replacing Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes in the side which drew against Leeds at the weekend, Maxence Lacroix took on the captain’s armband.

As per both of their meetings at Selhurst Park, in which Palace had enjoyed plenty of chances, the Eagles were the dominant attacking threat for much of the first-half.

The first opportunity arrived inside four minutes, and arrived courtesy of a pattern of play which was a frequent feature of Palace’s attacks: a cross-field diagonal pass from Kamada, cushioned into the path of Jørgen Strand Larsen, who in turn touched it towards Sarr.

With not much of the goal to aim at from a tight angle, the forward side-footed into the side-netting.

It was a precursor of what was to come, however, as Palace’s top scorer this season did not take long to add a 14th in all competitions to his tally.

On 13 minutes, after Strand Larsen had done well to retain possession on the floor, he played it to Wharton who swiftly clipped the ball forwards. A deflection took it into Sarr’s path and – with a deft touch around the advancing ‘keeper – swiftly rolled home the opener, a difficult finish made to look simple by the man in form.

Some 10 minutes later, he was at it again. Once more, Kamada dropped deep, lifted his head, and swung in an inviting cross which Sarr applied a clinical finish to – only to be flagged offside, which VAR subsequently confirmed.

But to Larnaca’s credit, perhaps out of necessity, the Cypriot side showed more attacking intent in front of their own fans, and could have equalised moments later after Djordje Ivanovic pulled the ball back into a dangerous area. Only a fine last-ditch tackle from Tyrick Mitchell prevented Pere Pons from tapping home.

Five minutes later, Ivanovic pulled out wide and delivered an in-swinging cross which – nodded on by Riad Bajic – Benítez stooped low to claim. Larnaca’s intent was clear.

But Palace remained on top for the remainder of the first-half, seeking a tie-killing second goal – and they almost had it on the stroke of half-time when Maxence Lacroix met Wharton’s in-swinging corner. The first header was blocked by Alomerovic’s legs – the follow-up from Lacroix’s feet similarly so.

Nevertheless, against such a miserly defence, Palace will have been satisfied to have become just the second team to score in Europe against their hosts.

The second-half started with Palace in similarly offensive pursuit, Kamada firing wide on the half-volley.

There was a positive on the hour mark as Daniel Muñoz, injured for the Eagles’ previous two matches, make his return from injury, coming off the bench to replace Brennan Johnson.

But on 63 minutes, Larnaca provided a bolt from the blue.

Winning a corner from an increasingly rare foray forward, Marcus Rohden put in an out-swinger from the right-hand side, Enric Saborit got a run on his marker – and the Spaniard duly powered home a bullet header into the bottom corner to bring the tie level.

Nevertheless, Palace responded; Wharton and Muñoz both went close in quick succession as Alomerovic kept out the former’s deflected effort, before kicking away the latter’s powerful follow-up across goal.

And Palace were handed an additional boon three minutes later when Wharton’s slide-rule pass appeared to set Sarr sprinting down the outside, the forward clearly pulled back by Saborit – the Larnaca goalscorer, already on a yellow card, duly being awarded another and seeing red.

The impetus was therefore on Palace to make the most of their numerical disparity, and moments after Sarr miscued from Muñoz’s pull-back, Glasner introduced Jean-Philippe Mateta for Jaydee Canvot – a striker for a defender, and the first time the Frenchman had been on the pitch at the same time as fellow targetman Strand Larsen.

There were two or three further half-chances, in particular with Sarr once again going close as a goalbound header was cleared by a Larnaca defender before it could drop in.

But we were destined for extra-time.

Larnaca, as expected – particularly with 10 men – sat deep, inviting wave upon wave of pressure from the white shirts in front of them.

Sarr, involved in so many of Palace’s most threatening moves, had the clearest opportunity of the opening minutes of extra-time, with Yéremy Pino scooping the ball into his path. With Alomerovic advancing, Sarr got too much on his header, looping it over the bar.

But it was merely a precursor of what was to come.

A short corner was worked well by Wharton and Kamada, the latter smashing the ball across the six-yard box – and Sarr, peeling towards the near post, slammed home a finish to restore Palace’s fully deserved lead in the tie.

The Palace attacks kept on coming, and on the stroke of half-time in extra-time the Eagles, incredibly, were only denied a third by the frame of the goal, twice in quick succession.

First – guess who – Sarr picked up the ball on the edge of the area and curled a beautiful effort towards the top corner, striking the crossbar. Seconds later, as Larnaca half-cleared their lines, Kamada’s cross came in – and Strand Larsen nodded against the post before seeing his rebound effort smothered by Alomerovic.

The early stages of the second-half of extra-time were largely uneventful, with Palace merely needing to see the game through with their one-man – and one-goal – advantage.

There was a spirited late response by Larnaca, however – one penalty appeal from Hrvoje Miličević was easily dismissed, but another initially appeared to be awarded, only for VAR to successfully rule the ball hit Mateta’s thigh, not arm.

In the closing seconds, Petros Ioannou was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Mateta – again, awarded upon video review – before Sarr hit the woodwork for a second time after rolling the ball against the post with the goal at his mercy, after Alomerović had come up for a late free-kick.

But in the end, it was Sarr’s two goals which saw Palace through to a historic European quarter-final.

AEK Larnaca: Alomerovic (GK), Godswill, Milicevic, Saborit, Garcia, Ioannou, Pons (Mudrazija, HT in ET), Ledes, Rohden (Kyriakou, 89), Bajic (Cabrera, 76 (Rubio, 112)), Ivanovic.

Subs: Paraskevas (GK), Demetriou (GK), Gurfinkel, Roberge, Loukaidis, Gonzalez.

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

Subs: Matthews (GK), Izquierdo (GK), Clyne, Riad, Sosa, Cardines, Devenny.

As It Happened