So often when Crystal Palace’s best players of the last few years are mentioned, Ismaila Sarr’s name is inexplicably absent.
But the Senegalese star is quickly turning into a modern-day great as he stepped up yet again to drag his side through to the Conference League quarter-finals.
Sarr, who only cost £12.5m from Marseille in 2024, put Palace ahead before he struck the winner in extra-time as Oliver Glasner’s side finally overcame a plucky AEK Larnaca 2-1 on aggregate.
Glasner had urged his side to move the ball quicker and be more aggressive after last week’s turgid first leg and it was noticeable how high Brennan Johnson and Tyrick Mitchell were positioned as wing backs from the start.
Palace fans have often bemoaned Glasner’s inflexibility, but that tweak, coupled with Sarr stationing himself as a second striker alongside Jorgen Strand Larsen, showed adaptability.
He even later switched to a 4-4-2 and played Jean-Philippe Mateta alongside the Norwegian for the first time.
Ismaila Sarr scored twice as Crystal Palace beat AEK Larnaca 2-1 to progress to the Conference League quarter-finals
Oliver Glasner’s side finally beat the Cypriot side in their third encounter of the season
Palace began the game well and when Sarr latched onto Adam Wharton’s deflected through ball, he showed good composure to round Zlatan Alomerovic and turn home for his 14th goal of the season – and the Eagles’ first against Larnaca on their third attempt.
For all of Palace’s dominance though, they failed to seize the moment and were punished when Enric Saborit headed home from a corner midway through the second half after poor marking. That was the 15th set-piece goal the Eagles have conceded this season.
Saborit would turn from hero to zero as he received a second yellow card for pulling down Sarr, yet despite introducing Yeremy Pino and Mateta, the Eagles struggled to find a way through and were wasteful when they did.
The game went to extra-time in torrential conditions in Cyprus, and Palace stayed patient. That paid off when a well-worked set-piece was pulled back to Sarr, and Palace’s No 7 – who was later denied a hat-trick by both the crossbar and the post – was there to deliver for his side yet again.
Larnaca were reduced to nine men in injury time when Petros Ioannou was dismissed for a high challenge, and Palace held firm despite some nervy moments
It’s not been the smoothest of European journeys for the Eagles by any means, yet they now face Fiorentina for a place in the final four of this competition and have a golden opportunity to end Glasner’s reign with a third trophy.
