- Crystal Palace face Shakhtar Donetsk tomorrow (April 30th)
- Dean Henderson wants another night like the Fiorentina win
- English goalkeeper called it ‘special’
Dean Henderson has named Crystal Palace’s memorable 3-0 win over Fiorentina as his favourite moment from a debut European campaign for the club. The English goalkeeper has played a key role in helping the Eagles progress to the UEFA Conference League semi-finals.
Palace didn’t have it easy in the league phase and were forced to play a play-off against Bosnian minnows Zrinjski Mostar after finishing 10th. That raised doubts about Oliver Glasner’s side being able to go on to win their first European trophy.
But an excellent run of form since the turn of the year has seen the South Londoners shine just at the right time. They reclaimed their status as favourites after beating Italian outfit Fiorentina at Selhurst Park earlier this month.
Henderson on ‘Incredible’ Fiorentina Win
Henderson kept a clean sheet in the win over Fiorentina, but did provide several important saves on the night. He did highlight two matches from the league phase when asked for his favourite but ultimately holds the quarter-final first leg very highly:
“It’s got to be the Fiorentina [home] game. Obviously, the first win against Dynamo Kyiv [in October] as well – that was a special evening. The AZ Alkmaar game at home was special because we had to win that game to get back on track.”
Henderson added:
“But no, I think the Fiorentina game certainly takes it. Everyone really locked in and really made it a special night. The atmosphere was a twelfth man, and that was when we really felt that it was something special. It was incredible, the effort the fans went to. As soon as you walk out to that, you know you’ve got a great chance of winning.”
Palace’s win over Fiorentina was one of the greatest nights in the club’s history. Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring from the penalty spot and got his relationship with the fans back on track.
Tyrick Mitchell, one of the club’s longest-serving players, added a second with a tidy finish. Ismaila Sarr put the icing on the cake with a third in the dying embers as Glasner’s men romped to victory.
Can Palace Deliver Another Famous Night?
Palace face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals, with the first leg tomorrow night at the Henryk Reymont Stadium in Poland. The Ukrainian will be a tougher challenge than Fiorentina, given they sit top of their domestic league, with 18 wins and only one loss in 25 games.
Henderson is well aware of the test that awaits, and he assessed how his side can reach the final in Leipzig:
“It’s not something I think about, lifting the cup. It’s more thinking about the process of how we lift the cup. And I think ultimately it’s a cliché, but we’ve got the semi-final to come and we know Shakhtar are going to be a very tough team to play against.”
He added:
“How do we get ourselves through that [away] game? And then, obviously, we bring it back to Selhurst.”
It’s a bonus that Palace play the second leg at home which wasn’t the case in the quarter-finals. The Eagles lost 2-1 to Fiorentina in Florence but ultimately progressed 4-2 on aggregate.
Tomorrow is the biggest game of the season thus far and Glasner’s troops can take a massive step towards a first-ever European final. It would be quite the send-off for the Austrian to leave with another major trophy added to the club’s trophy cabinet.
