Crystal Palace FC has managed to qualify themselves for a meeting with Italian club Fiorentina in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Conference League. This comes after a victory over Cyprus-based club AEK Larnaca last Thursday.
The Eagles recorded an aggregate score of 2-1 over two, albeit not-so-stellar, legs of football. While the privilege to play in a competition such as the Conference League is one that no mid-table team should take for granted, the likes of a team so recently coined as “giant slayers” in their fairytale storming of the FA Cup, as well as their several impressive league runs under current manager Oliver Glasner, should have little trouble in soaring past a squad like Larnaca’s.
This was hardly the case.
Palace, who were favorites to win the trophy coming into their first league stage match against a powerful Dynamo Kyiv, and a few other disappointing results including a 1-0 loss to Larnaca, failed to qualify for the knockout rounds immediately and were forced to do so with a seeded playoff system.
They demonstrated their class on the second asking with an aggregate score of 3-1 against Zrinjski in late February to bring them to their first knockout round against Larnaca. While AEK Larnaca deserve credit for recognizing that playing a low block and accepting the unlikelihood of scoring against Palace would work best in their favor, it is hard not to laugh at the inability of a Premier League level club in figuring out how to counter this.
Glasner has previously expressed his frustration with the team’s difficulty in finishing their created chances, and Palace has one of the worst expected goal ratios (xG) in the Premier League this season. This has been an ongoing issue for Crystal Palace, failing to find the back of the net in games they should be converting in, their most recent being a 0-0 draw at home against Leeds United.
Palace’s goal trouble was very much on display in a wasteful first leg which ended in a 0-0 draw and boos for the home team.
Although the Eagles defended valiantly and worked themselves into dangerous positions, large chances were squandered by Sarr, Mitchell and Richards, and the three points went begging. This result set up a dramatic must-win second leg fixture on the 19th and was certainly not as convincing as it should have been.
Larnaca’s opportunities to get involved in the game were not for Palace’s lack of trying, but rather for lack of class. Palace started the game with a strong squad, only missing Dean Henderson and Daniel Munoz, who later came on for Brennan Johnson in the 60th minute.
While Munoz is consistently energetic, his form mirrored the rest of the squads in that it just was not good enough. Daichi Kamada was unable to make five-yard passes under no pressure; Munoz was more likely to shank a cross than to find a target, and Adam Wharton still can’t work out translating his brilliant passing skills into a decent shot on target. Sarr was clinical in his two finishes, giving him a bit of a pass for hitting the woodwork with no keeper in the net. Two red cards also went to the advantage of the Eagles, with goalscorer Enric Saborit being booked in the 73’ and a late showing off for Petros Ioannou in 120’ + 4’ for a late tackle on Jean-Phillipe Mateta.
Dramatic chances from Pino, Mateta and Strand Larsen were missed, and the match came to a close just as things were starting to boil over. Cups began piling up behind the Palace goal as Larnaca fans started to throw their drinks at Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
While it was anything but an attractive showcase of football, Crystal Palace will be satisfied with managing to get a positive result and will live to see the next round.
The general feeling around Palace at the moment is that it must be better, but if they can finish off the season with Conference League silverware, it may all be chalked up to a success.