Zrinjski Vs Crystal Palace held to 1-1 after Sarr strike and late VAR check
In a frustrating first leg, zrinjski vs crystal palace finished 1-1 at Zrinjski Mostar as Ismaïla Sarr’s finish on the stroke of half-time was cancelled out by Karlo Abramovic early in the second half, leaving the tie evenly poised ahead of the second leg at Selhurst Park on 26 February at 20: 00 GMT (3: 00 p. m. ET).
Early control, late reward for Sarr
Crystal Palace dominated possession in the opening 45 minutes but took time to break through; Jørgen Strand Larsen set up Ismaïla Sarr and the Senegal forward curled a finish home in the 43rd minute to put the visitors ahead, taking his total to three goals in this season’s competition.
Equaliser after sloppy restart
Zrinjski hit back 10 minutes into the second half when a misplaced pass from Adam Wharton ended with Karlo Abramovic drilling the ball past Dean Henderson in the 55th minute after a strong run from Leo Mikic, leaving the score level at 1-1 and the tie finely balanced.
Palace pressure, missed chances and a disallowed goal
The Premier League side enjoyed more than 70% possession and had chances throughout: an early Sarr volley tested Goran Karacic, Adam Wharton saw a shot whistle past the post, and Palace thought they had taken the lead after 12 minutes when Sarr finished from six yards only for the goal to be ruled out because Chris Richards was in an offside position when he crossed. Wharton later rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort inside the final 20 minutes.
Zrinjski Vs Crystal Palace — VAR check spares Palace
The match nearly swung again late on when Zrinjski players appealed for a handball against Daniel Muñoz in an aerial challenge involving Henderson; the referee reviewed the incident at the monitor but disagreed that a penalty should be awarded, allowing Palace to survive a late VAR scare. Earlier, Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson had been tested just once in the first 15 minutes when he collected a Zrinjski free-kick delivery.
Missed opportunities for both sides
Zrinjski had their own openings: Mario Cuze found himself one-on-one with Henderson but shot wide, while Antonio Ivancic had a gilt-edged chance in the first half that he failed to convert. Palace, who named a strong line-up that included Wharton, Brennan Johnson and Strand Larsen, were unable to turn territorial dominance into a winning advantage in the first leg.
The result leaves the tie level and sets up the decisive second leg at Selhurst Park on 26 February at 20: 00 GMT (3: 00 p. m. ET), where Crystal Palace will aim to convert their control of possession into the knockout victory they did not secure in Mostar.
