Zrinjski Vs Crystal Palace held 1-1 after Sarr strike
In a frustrating first leg for the Premier League side, zrinjski vs crystal palace finished 1-1 in Mostar, with Ismaila Sarr's 43rd-minute strike cancelled out by Karlo Abramovic's 55th-minute equaliser. The zrinjski vs crystal palace tie remains evenly poised ahead of the second leg at Selhurst Park on 26 February at 3: 00 PM ET.
Zrinjski Vs Crystal Palace: match summary
Crystal Palace controlled possession for more than 70% of the match but failed to turn that dominance into a decisive advantage. A crisp interplay just before half-time saw Jørgen Strand Larsen set up Ismaila Sarr, who curled the opener two minutes before the break to give the visitors the lead. Ten minutes into the second half, a sloppy pass from Adam Wharton allowed Zrinjski to counter; Leo Mikic’s involvement led to Karlo Abramovic drilling a finish past Dean Henderson to level the tie.
Key incidents and missed chances
Palace came close to scoring earlier in the game when Sarr finished from six yards, but that effort was disallowed for an offside in the build-up. Adam Wharton had a shot that narrowly missed and later rattled the crossbar with a long-range attempt inside the final 20 minutes. The home side also had a potential penalty reviewed by VAR for an alleged handball in the box, but the referee did not award it after checking the monitor, leaving Palace unpunished.
Implications and forward look
The draw leaves the tie level heading into the return at Selhurst Park. Observable indicators from the first leg include Palace’s sustained possession and the visitors’ inability to translate control into multiple clear chances on target. If the home side in the second leg can reduce Palace’s possession share and press effectively around midfield, the balance could tilt; conversely, if Palace again dominate possession and improve their finishing, they will likely remain favourites to progress. The second leg is scheduled for 26 February at 3: 00 PM ET, where the outcome will be decided over 90 minutes plus any necessary tiebreakers.
Palace enter the return with form concerns highlighted by the wider run of results: they have won one of their last 15 games across all competitions. The manager selected a strong side after an eight-day break between fixtures, but the team’s persistent conversion issues kept the tie level. The hosts will take confidence from both the equaliser and a late spell that produced a near-penalty opportunity.
With the tie finely balanced, the second leg at Selhurst Park offers Palace a clear path to recovery if they can convert possession into better-quality chances and avoid unforced errors in midfield.
