Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Palace reach Conference League last 16 with 2-0 win
Crystal Palace secured progression to the last 16 of the Conference League with a 2-0 victory over Zrinjski Mostar at Selhurst Park, completing a 3-1 aggregate win. The result in crystal palace vs zrinjski both extends Palace's debut European campaign and eases pressure on manager Oliver Glasner ahead of the next round.
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski at Selhurst Park
Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring in the 36th minute, heading home from about five yards after an Adam Wharton free-kick delivery close to the left touchline. Palace controlled large periods after that opener: Evann Guessand had an early effort saved and Ismaila Sarr missed a headed one-on-one, before Guessand sealed the tie with a hard, low strike in the second minute of stoppage time to make it 2-0 on the night and 3-1 over two legs. The visitors had forced a 1-1 draw in Mostar in last week's first leg, leaving Palace to finish the job at home.
Oliver Glasner and the media storm
The match followed a volatile week in which sections of the crowd called for manager Oliver Glasner to be sacked after the first leg. Glasner acknowledged that some of his post-match interviews had fanned the controversy, saying he had to express himself and then face the backlash. He had previously told fans to "stay humble, " comments that some supporters found unhelpful.
Supporters' unrest reached the stadium: the Holmesdale Fanatics displayed the message "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats" during the first half, and a supporters' group had asked the club to turn off the music during the pre-match warm-up so they could back the team; the club rejected that request on the grounds that UEFA regulations would not allow it. A large group of travelling supporters who arrived two hours before kick-off helped generate an atmosphere despite many empty seats in the home sections.
Match coverage and live reaction
Television and online coverage reflected demand and disruption: a Sky Sports live blog linked to the fixture was unavailable at the time of the match, showing an on-screen message that the blog could not be accessed and asking readers to try again later. Nevertheless, the on-pitch action settled the story with Palace delivering the decisive moments that mattered.
Squad strain, trophy context and transfer movement
This season has been tumultuous for Palace off and on the field. The club are competing in European competition for the first time after winning the FA Cup in 2024-25, having beaten Manchester City 1-0 in the final and then edged Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield. Yet Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League because of a breach of multi-club ownership rules.
The squad has felt the strain of extra fixtures: the Zrinjski match was Palace's 43rd of the campaign, with a further 11 Premier League matches to play and a potential seven more in the Conference League. That congestion followed significant personnel changes — Eberechi Eze left to join Arsenal, and captain Marc Guehi came close to a move to Liverpool that ultimately fell through when the club could not secure a replacement.
Last-16 prospects: Mainz or Larnaca
Palace will now face either German side Mainz or Cypriot side Larnaca in the last 16. The two-legged tie will begin at Selhurst Park on Thursday, 12 March, with the return leg a week later. Palace previously lost to Larnaca during the group stages, so both opponents present distinct challenges.
Wider European picture from this round
Other matches across the Europa and Conference competitions produced notable results. Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate, with Williot Swedberg scoring the only goal in their second leg. Lille overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Red Star Belgrade 2-0 on the night — Olivier Giroud scored and Nathan Ngoy added a goal in extra time. Ferencvaros recovered a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at home against Ludogorets Razgrad, with first-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen.
Elsewhere, one side will face Porto or Braga in the next round, and Stuttgart remain in contention despite losing 1-0 at home to Celtic. Luke McCowan scored after 28 seconds to register the Europa League's fastest goal in 10 years, though his side lost 4-2 on aggregate. Panathinaikos advanced after a 1-1 second leg with Viktoria Plzen led to a 4-3 penalty shootout win — their second half of extra time featured a red card for Javi Hernández, Andreas Tetteh had put the visitors ahead early, Karel Spacil equalised, and Milos Pantovic netted the decisive spot-kick. Midtjylland or Real Betis, Nottingham Forest (who progressed past Fenerbahce on aggregate) and Bologna, who beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate, are among the other teams moving forward.
What makes this notable is how on-field progress has temporarily quieted off-field turbulence: Palace's win at Selhurst Park advances their maiden European journey while giving Glasner a platform to steady a season that has mixed trophies with controversy.
