Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Palace navigate chaos to reach Conference League last 16
The match-up labelled crystal palace vs zrinjski ended in a 2-0 victory that secured a 3-1 aggregate to send Palace into the Conference League last 16, a result that matters as the club navigates departures, managerial upheaval and a Friday draw that will determine their next opponent at 13: 00 GMT. The win offers the possibility of European success despite a chaotic 12 months for the club.
Crystal Palace Vs Zrinjski: Lacroix and Guessand settle tie at Selhurst Park
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand scored the goals as Palace beat Bosnian side Zrinjski 2-0 at Selhurst Park to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory. The first leg in Bosnia and Herzegovina had finished 1-1, and it could have gone differently had Zrinjski Mostar equalised just before Guessand settled the tie late on. Captain Dean Henderson, shortly after the Selhurst Park win, joked: "I don't know what all the fuss was about. "
Glasner's status, comments and his defence of the squad
Oliver Glasner, described in the season coverage as the most successful manager in the club's history, announced in January that he would leave 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. 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. " He also said the players' performances are evidence his job is secure and emphasised "great togetherness in the group - players, staff, really positive, " noting that the current campaign and last season may be the club's best two years while playing European football for the first time.
Trophies, exits and near-moves in a wild 12 months
The club's recent year has been turbulent: in May Palace won their first major trophy, beating Manchester City to win the FA Cup, and then three months later they won the Community Shield with a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool. Key personnel changes followed—winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal; skipper Marc Guehi was nearly a Liverpool signing before he 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. Those moves contributed to a season that has produced almost daily headlines.
Last-16 draw set for Friday at 13: 00 GMT and potential opponents
The club will discover their Conference League last-16 opponents in the draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT. Palace's European campaign continues after being demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League following their FA Cup win last season. Their next opponent will be either the Cypriot side Larnaca, who Palace lost to during the group stages, or Mainz from Germany.
Supporter unrest: banners, requests and the matchday atmosphere
Supporter discontent has been visible. After the first leg Glasner left the pitch with supporters calling for the Austrian manager to be sacked in the morning. Fans held up a banner on Sunday before the 1-0 win over Wolves saying he was "finished. " The supporters' group responsible for that banner asked the club to turn off the music in the last match against Wolves so they could "back the team during the pre-match warm-up, " a request Palace rejected on the grounds that Uefa's regulations would not allow it. A large group of travelling supporters took up position two hours before kick-off and helped 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.
Other European results on the night and a disrupted commentary stream
Across Europe there were several decisive ties: 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 with goals from Olivier Giroud and Nathan Ngoy in extra time. 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, though the hosts prevailed 4-2 on aggregate. Panathinaikos beat Viktoria Plzen 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the second leg made it 3-3 on aggregate; Panathinaikos played the second half of extra time with 10 men after Javi Hernández was sent off, and Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick with Midtjylland or Real Betis awaiting in the last 16. Nottingham Forest, after beating 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 that is unclear in the provided context. A live commentary blog that might have covered these matches was unavailable on the night.
