Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski — crystal palace vs zrinjski: chaotic Palace season could end in glory
Crystal Palace sealed their place in the Conference League last 16 after a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park, completing a 3-1 aggregate victory over Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar in a tie that underlined how a turbulent season might yet finish with silverware. The draw for Palace's next opponent is on Friday at 13: 00 GMT (8: 00 ET).
Selhurst Park finish: Lacroix and Guessand seal aggregate win
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand were the scorers as Palace beat Zrinjski 2-0 at Selhurst Park to make the aggregate score 3-1. The second-leg victory came after a 1-1 draw in Bosnia in the first leg, a tie Palace escaped from and one that might have swung the other way if Zrinjski Mostar had equalised just before Guessand settled the tie late on.
Managerial storm: Glasner's January announcement and public lines
Oliver Glasner, described in club material as the most successful manager in the club's history, had announced in January he would leave at the end of the season and publicly told the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad. That sequence of events appeared to signal the end of his tenure, but he has remained in charge.
Asked if he had assurance of his job, Glasner said "100%" and conceded that "there's so much noise, sometimes you really don't understand it. " He acknowledged that some interviews "were not helpful" and that he speaks openly because "it's how I am. " After comments in the first leg in which he told fans to "stay humble, " Glasner later said, "I just had to express it otherwise I would have exploded. I can't do it differently. If I feel something, I have to say it. Then I have to face the shitstorm. Everyone hopefully knows everything I say and do is for the best of Crystal Palace. "
Player and trophy upheaval across a wild 12 months
The club's supporters have lived through a "wild 12 months, " with Palace in headlines almost daily. In May the team won its first major trophy, beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup, and then three months later added the Community Shield with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool.
That period also saw significant player movement: winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal; skipper Marc Guehi was nearly a Liverpool signing before moving to Manchester City five months later; and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the verge of signing for AC Milan only to fail a medical. Palace had been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last season, making this the club's first European campaign in that competition.
Supporters' protests and matchday atmosphere at Selhurst Park
Fans have been vocal. Supporters called for Glasner to be sacked in the morning after the first leg, and a banner saying he was "finished" was held up before the 1-0 win over Wolves. A supporters' group responsible for that banner asked for music to be turned off before the Wolves match so they could "back the team during the pre-match warm-up, " but the club rejected the request on the grounds that Uefa's regulations would not allow it.
Despite a large number of empty seats in the home sections, the presence of a large group of travelling supporters, who took up position two hours before kick-off, helped to create a decent atmosphere. The Holmesdale Fanatics displayed a message during the first half reading: "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats. "
What comes next: last-16 draw and wider European picture
Palace will learn their Conference League last-16 opponent in the draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT (8: 00 ET). Their next opponent will be either the Cypriot side Larnaca, whom Palace lost to during the group stages, or Mainz from Germany.
The same round across Europe produced a variety of results: Williot Swedberg scored the only goal as Celta beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate to set up a last-16 tie against either Aston Villa or Lyon. Lille recovered from a first-leg loss to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade with goals from Olivier Giroud and, in extra time, Nathan Ngoy, making them potential opposition for Villa or Lyon in Friday's draw. Robbie Keane's Ferencvaros overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at home and knock out Ludogorets Razgrad.
First-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen put a Hungarian side into the next round where they will face Porto or Braga, one of which Stuttgart will also face despite losing 1-0 at home to Celtic. Luke McCowan's goal after 28 seconds was the Europa League's fastest in 10 years, though the hosts still prevailed 4-2 on aggregate.
Panathinaikos, down to 10 men for the second half of extra time after Javi Hernández was sent off, beat Viktoria Plzen 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the second leg made it 3-3 on aggregate; Andreas Tetteh put the visitors ahead early but Karel Spacil equalised, and Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick with Midtjylland or Real Betis awaiting. Nottingham Forest, who beat Fenerbahce on aggregate, are also potential opponents for Midtjylland or Betis. Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to set up a last-16 tie.
Separately, a planned match blog was unavailable at one point, with the message that the blog was currently unavailable.
Captain Dean Henderson, shortly after the Selhurst Park win, joked: "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " reflecting a season in which moments of turmoil have sat alongside cup success and a route back into the latter stages of European competition. Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and three points shy of eighth — a finish that could be high enough to secure another European return next season. Glasner pointed to the players' performance as proof of his position, saying, "If the players believe in me and the staff, that's the most important thing, otherwise, you can pack your suitcase and go home because the players have to perform on the pitch. " He added that there is "great togetherness in the group - players, staff" and suggested this might be "the best two years in Crystal Palace's history, playing European football for the first time. "
