Even though it’s not the top-tier Europa League, Crystal Palace had an exciting moment as they experienced European football for the first time. They celebrated a victory in the first leg of their playoff for the Conference League, despite the fact that Eberechi Eze was not playing due to his nearly £67.5 million transfer to Arsenal.
Palace Overcome Eze Absence to Secure First-Leg Lead
After a summer filled with questions about which tournament they would be in, Oliver Glasner didn’t want to hear from Eze on game day that he wasn’t well enough to play. Palace struggled to score against a well-organized Norwegian team called Fredrikstad in the first half. Things changed, though, when Jean-Philippe Mateta scored. It helped calm down the team. Although they didn’t manage to score again, that goal was important as they worked to secure a spot in the group stages of a lower-tier European competition. Glasner, who previously led Eintracht Frankfurt to win the Europa League in 2022, knows that this matchup isn’t over yet, especially with the second leg to be played next week on an artificial turf field. With Palace, nothing is ever guaranteed.
Glasner expressed his disappointment before the match that Eze would not be playing, acknowledging that this affected his team’s plans. He stated, “It’s not ideal to change the starting lineup on game day, especially in such an important moment – it’s Crystal Palace’s first time in European football.”
Europa League Disappointment Fuels Palace Fan Atmosphere
Even though there was a lingering feeling of disappointment for not qualifying for the Europa League, the atmosphere on the streets of south London was still filled with excitement ahead of the match. When the Conference League anthem played, it was met with loud boos from the Palace fans who were gathered behind the goal. They started shouting right away against UEFA, John Textor, who used to own a part of the club, and Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest. These individuals have been blamed for causing the team’s drop to this lesser competition due to issues with ownership rules.
Palace’s Previous European History
Crystal Palace has played in European competitions before, but that was back in 1998 in a tournament called the Intertoto Cup. They entered because they were the only English team that wanted to participate. Unfortunately, their time in that tournament was short-lived, as they lost both of their matches, going out with a total score of 4-0 against a Turkish team called Samsunspor. Oliver Glasner, who is now coaching, was careful not to make similar mistakes after facing elimination while managing Wolfsburg.
In a recent match, Justin Devenny, who scored the decisive penalty in Palace’s Community Shield victory, had a tough time stepping in for Eze, who was unavailable. However, there was a positive note as Croatia defender Borna Sosa stood out and made a great impression in his first full game for the team.
Fredrikstad’s Defensive Setup and Late Chance
After being out of Norway’s top football league since 2012, Fredrikstad just finished their first season back there and celebrated by winning the national cup. In their match, they played very defensively, with five players focused on protecting their goal. Near the end of the game, they almost managed to score an equalizer when substitute Henrik Skogvold missed an opportunity and shot wide of the goal.
Without Eze to motivate the team, Crystal Palace struggled to get going against their opponents, who are already well into their league season and will have a break before the next match. After 20 minutes, Mateta managed to force the goalkeeper, Martin Børsheim, to make a save, but overall, the enthusiastic away fans had little to cheer about. A wild shot from Marc Guéhi, another Palace player whose future is uncertain, highlighted the home team’s frustrations. Adam Wharton, playing in a deeper midfield position, seemed to be their best chance for creativity. Then, from a corner kick, Mateta had a good chance but hit the post instead. This moment seemed to energize Palace, and shortly after, a header from Ismaïla Sarr was barely cleared away by the defense.
Second-Half Pressure and the Winning Goal
As Glasner walked down the tunnel, he looked angry. His team came out for the second half with a new sense of determination, and Devenny missed a great chance by heading the ball over the goal from a cross by Guéhi. However, the home fans cheered in relief when Mateta skillfully redirected a mis-hit shot from Will Hughes to score the first goal. Sosa had a chance to make it 2-0, but his shot went just over the bar after a nice play by Sarr. Glasner then brought in Odsonne Édouard, who hasn’t been playing much lately, to replace Devenny as they looked to build on their lead. Fredrikstad’s defense stayed strong and kept the score from getting worse. Daniel Muñoz hit the post after Jefferson Lerma crossed the ball, and Guéhi headed the ball wide from a corner kick.
The absence of options on the bench – like Romain Esse, a 20-year-old player who was brought in from Millwall for about £12 million in January, and who surprisingly wasn’t used in this match – adds to Coach Glasner’s argument for needing more players before the transfer window closes. He expressed his thoughts about this after the game. Despite the recent chaos, Crystal Palace is likely still going to be the favorite to win the next match next week.
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