Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski — crystal palace vs zrinjski and a chaotic season that could end in glory
crystal palace vs zrinjski ended with a 2-0 home win as Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand scored at Selhurst Park to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and reach the Conference League last 16. Crystal Palace will find out their Conference League last-16 opponents in the draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT.
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski reaction
Captain Dean Henderson joked, "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " shortly after the 2-0 win over Bosnian side Zrinjski that completed the 3-1 aggregate. The second leg followed a first-leg 1-1 draw away in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a tie in which Palace left the pitch with supporters calling for the Austrian manager to be sacked that morning; Lacroix and Guessand made it a much more harmonious evening by settling the tie late on.
Dramatic season and departures
It has been a wild 12 months for the Eagles. In May they won their first major trophy, beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup, and then three months later they added the Community Shield with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool. Key players have left: winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal; skipper Marc Guehi nearly joined Liverpool and then moved 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 were also demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last season, and their first European campaign can now continue against either the Cypriot side Larnaca, who they lost to during the group stages, or Mainz from Germany in the last 16.
Glasner's comments and future
Oliver Glasner, described in club commentary as the most successful manager in the club's history, announced in January he was leaving at the end of the season and told the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad. That appeared to be the end of his tenure, but he has stayed. Fans held up a banner on Sunday before the 1-0 win over Wolves saying he was "finished". When asked if he had assurance of his job from his bosses, Glasner said "100%" and added: "There's so much noise, sometimes you really don't understand it. Maybe I gave some interviews that were not helpful and I have to admit that, but I'm always telling what I'm feeling, it's how I am. We're in a very good position in the league and the Conference League and it is up to us to make a really great season of it. "
He also said: "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. " On the squad's spirit he added: "We have a great togetherness in the group - players, staff, really positive. The same with the sporting director and the chairman. They are sometimes wondering, 'Hey, this is the second-best Premier League season ever'. The best was last year. So maybe the best two years in Crystal Palace's history, playing European football for the first time. "
Glasner further reflected on his public remarks: "There is so much noise, so sometimes we really don’t understand it, but maybe I gave some interviews that were not really helpful, I have to admit. " He said he had told fans to "stay humble" after the first leg and explained: "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. "
Fans, banners and atmosphere
The supporters' group responsible for the banner directed against Glasner and the club's board asked for the match music to be turned off 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 wouldn't allow it. A large group of travelling supporters took up position two hours before kick-off and helped to create a decent atmosphere despite a large number of empty seats in the home sections. The Holmesdale Fanatics displayed the message "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats" during the first half. Separately, one match blog linked to the fixture was unavailable with the message: "Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. "
Conference draw and other results
Palace are 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and only three away from eighth, which could be high enough to secure a European return next season. Elsewhere in European competition, Williot Swedberg scored the only goal as Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate to set up a last-16 tie against either Aston Villa or Lyon. Lille bounced back from losing the first leg to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and, in extra time, Nathan Ngoy, and will provide the other 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 the 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, but the hosts prevailed 4-2 on aggregate. Panathinaikos, who played the second half of extra time with 10 men 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 for Plzen and in the shootout Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick, with Midtjylland or Real Betis awaiting in the last 16; 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 last-16 tie w — unclear in the provided context.
Palace's route in Europe now pauses for the Friday draw at 13: 00 GMT; the club will learn whether Larnaca or Mainz await in the last 16 as the season's turbulence continues to coexist with on-pitch progress.
