The Viola's European curse meets South London's finest

Ah, the Conference League. The competition designed for people who find the Europa League a bit too "mainstream" and the Champions League too "competent." Tonight, we witness the second leg of a clash that sounds more like a pre-season friendly in New Jersey than a European quarterfinal: Fiorentina vs. Crystal Palace.

The Italians are currently in a bit of a pickle, and by pickle, I mean they are trailing 3-0 after a first leg at Selhurst Park where they apparently forgot that the objective was to put the ball in the other team's net. Fiorentina has made a hobby of reaching Conference League finals only to lose them in the most heartbreaking ways possible, but this time, they might not even get the chance to disappoint their fans in a stadium in Prague or Athens. They are effectively trying to climb Everest in flip-flops.

On the other side, we have the Eagles. Crystal Palace in Europe. Let that sink in. The club usually associated with 14th-place finishes and wondering if Wilfried Zaha is ever coming back is currently dismantling Serie A royalty. They lead 3-0, and quite frankly, if they don't progress, Oliver Glasner should probably be forced to walk back to Croydon. Palace is playing with the kind of RECKLESS ABANDON that only a team with absolutely zero historical European pressure can muster.

Expect Florence to be beautiful, the pasta to be excellent, and the football from the home side to be a desperate, flailing mess. Fiorentina will huff and puff, but Palace’s backline is currently as stubborn as a London bus driver on strike.

Prediction: Fiorentina 1-1 Crystal Palace