Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Glasner weathers storm as Palace reach Conference League last 16
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski ended 2-0 at Selhurst Park as Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand scored to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and send Palace into the Conference League last 16, a result that arrives amid a turbulent season for the club.
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Selhurst Park win seals last-16 spot
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand were the scorers as Palace beat Bosnian side Zrinjski 2-0 at Selhurst Park, turning a 1-1 first-leg draw in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a 3-1 aggregate progression to the last 16 of the Conference League.
Glasner, Henderson and the fans
Captain Dean Henderson joked, "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " shortly after the win over Zrinjski, while manager Oliver Glasner admitted his comments in earlier interviews had sparked a media storm but insisted he has been given "100%" assurance of his job. Glasner said there was "so much noise" and conceded some interviews were "not helpful, " adding that he speaks honestly about his feelings.
Fans have been vocal: a banner calling Glasner "finished" was displayed before the 1-0 win over Wolves, and the Holmesdale Fanatics showed a sign reading "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats" during the first half at Selhurst Park. Palace rejected a request from the supporters' group behind the banner to turn off the pre-match music for the Wolves match on the grounds UEFA regulations would not allow it, and a large group of travelling supporters who took up position two hours before kick-off helped create a decent atmosphere despite many empty seats.
A chaotic season of comings, goings and trophies
The season has been turbulent: in May Palace won their first major trophy by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup and then added the Community Shield in a penalty shootout win over Liverpool three months later. Key players have left or nearly left—winger Eberechi Eze moved to Arsenal, Marc Guehi nearly joined Liverpool before later moving to Manchester City, and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the verge of signing for AC Milan but failed a medical.
Glasner announced in January he would leave at the end of the season and told the club board they had "abandoned" the squad; that appeared to end his tenure but he has remained in charge as the team advances in Europe. Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and three points away from eighth, a position that could be high enough for European qualification next season.
Route forward: opponents and the draw
Palace's European campaign, after being demoted from the Europa League following last season's FA Cup win, will continue in the last 16 against either Cypriot side Larnaca—who Palace lost to during the group stages—or Mainz from Germany. The club will find out their last-16 opponents in the draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT (time in ET unclear in the provided context).
Other European ties and wider results
Elsewhere in continental competition: Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate with Williot Swedberg scoring the only goal in the second leg; Lille recovered to beat Red Star Belgrade 2-0 thanks to Olivier Giroud and Nathan Ngoy in extra time; Ferencvaros overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 and eliminate Ludogorets Razgrad; and Panathinaikos beat Viktoria Plzen on penalties after a 1-1 second-leg draw made it 3-3 on aggregate, playing the second half of extra time with 10 men after Javi Hernández was sent off.
Additional concrete results: first-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen put their Hungarian side into the next round where they will face Porto or Braga; Luke McCowan’s goal after 28 seconds was the Europa League’s fastest in 10 years in a tie that finished 4-2 on aggregate; Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick in a shootout that set up a last-16 pairing with Midtjylland or Real Betis; Nottingham Forest beat Fenerbahce on aggregate; and Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to reach the next round.
Notes from coverage and what’s next
A Sky Sports match blog for the Palace game was unavailable with the message: "Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. " Palace will discover their last-16 opponents in Friday’s draw at 13: 00 GMT, and the club’s first European campaign will resume once that draw is completed.
