Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski — Palace reach Conference League last 16 after 2-0 Selhurst Park win
Crystal Palace’s 2-0 victory over Bosnian side Zrinjski sealed a 3-1 aggregate win and moved the club into the Conference League last 16 in what was billed as the latest chapter in a turbulent season. The result in the Selhurst Park tie — and an imminent draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT to determine Palace’s next opponent — matters because it extends a campaign marked as much by off-field upheaval as by silverware.
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Selhurst Park win and aggregate progression
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand were the goalscorers as Palace recorded a 2-0 home victory that completed a 3-1 aggregate success over Zrinjski. The tie had been level at 1-1 after the first leg in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Guessand’s late contribution settled the tie after Palace had escaped from that earlier visit with a draw. Captain Dean Henderson quipped, "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " shortly after the win.
Oliver Glasner, comments and coach’s position
Manager Oliver Glasner, who had announced in January he would leave at the end of the season and told the board they had "abandoned" the squad, remains in place and said he has "100%" assurance of his job. Glasner admitted some of his interviews were unhelpful, saying he told fans to "stay humble" after the first leg and that expressing his feelings led him to "face the shitstorm. " He framed those comments as a personal necessity: "I just had to express it otherwise I would have exploded. "
Transfers, trophies and squad turnover
The club’s recent 12 months have combined major trophies and heavy squad movement. In May Crystal Palace won their first major trophy by beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup, then added the Community Shield three months later with a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool. Since then winger Eberechi Eze has left for Arsenal, Marc Guehi was close to joining Liverpool before moving to Manchester City five months later, and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly completed a transfer to AC Milan but failed a medical.
Supporters, banners and matchday atmosphere
Fan unrest has accompanied the managerial row. A banner labelling Glasner "finished" was displayed before a 1-0 win over Wolves, and the supporters’ group behind that banner had asked the club to switch off music before that match so they could "back the team during the pre-match warm-up" — a request the club refused on the grounds that UEFA regulations would not allow it. Nonetheless, a large group of travelling supporters who took up position two hours before kick-off helped generate atmosphere despite numerous empty seats; the Holmesdale Fanatics displayed the message "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats" during the first half.
League standing, European position and next steps
Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and three points shy of eighth place — a position that might be enough for European qualification next season. Having been demoted from the Europa League into the Conference League after last season’s FA Cup win, Palace’s first European campaign now continues into the last 16, where they will face either Cypriot side Larnaca — who Palace lost to in the group stages — or Mainz from Germany; the last-16 draw is scheduled for Friday at 13: 00 GMT.
Wider European results and unavailable coverage
The matchday coverage landscape included gaps: a live blog of the Crystal Palace 2-0 Zrinjski Mostar game was unavailable with a message stating, "Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. " Other European ties produced confirmed outcomes that will shape the knockout draw: Williot Swedberg’s goal ensured Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate and set up a tie against either Aston Villa or Lyon; Lille overturned a deficit to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade with goals from Olivier Giroud and Nathan Ngoy in extra time, creating another potential opponent for Villa or Lyon; Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros recovered to win 2-0 at home and eliminate Ludogorets Razgrad.
Additional developments included first-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen that put a Hungarian side into the next round, where they will face Porto or Braga; a 28-second strike by Luke McCowan — the Europa League’s fastest in 10 years — and subsequent aggregate results that left hosts progressing 4-2; and Panathinaikos overcoming Viktoria Plzen on penalties after Javi Hernández was sent off and the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate, with Milos Pantovic scoring the decisive spot-kick and a match-up with Midtjylland or Real Betis looming. Nottingham Forest are also among the potential opponents in that section of the draw. Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to set up last-16 tie w
What makes this notable is that amid managerial controversy, supporter unrest and turnover of key players, Palace have preserved a route to further European competition — and now face a Friday draw that will determine whether their disrupted season can yet produce another deep run.
