Conference League draw looms as Palace seal last-16 place amid a turbulent season
Crystal Palace will discover their conference league last-16 opponents in a draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT after a 2-0 win over Bosnian side Zrinjski that sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory. The result keeps a chaotic campaign alive and brings Palace into the knockout phase despite managerial turmoil and a raft of departures.
Selhurst Park victory sealed by Lacroix and Guessand after tense first leg
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand scored as Palace beat Zrinjski 2-0 at Selhurst Park to complete a 3-1 aggregate win. The tie had been precarious after a 1-1 draw on the trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a result the team were described as fortunate to escape from, and Guessand settled the tie late on when Zrinjski could so nearly have equalised just before he struck.
Captain Dean Henderson joked, "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " shortly after the win, underlining the emotional rollercoaster for supporters through the tie.
Oliver Glasner admits he sparked a media storm but insists his position is safe
Oliver Glasner, identified as the most successful manager in the club's history in the season's coverage, announced in January he would leave at the end of the season and told the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad. That appeared to signal the end of his tenure, but he has remained in charge.
Fans held up a banner on Sunday before the 1-0 win over Wolves saying he was "finished". Asked if he had assurance of his job from his bosses, Glasner said "100%" and acknowledged: "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 added in fuller remarks that he felt compelled to speak out: "I just had to express it otherwise I would have exploded... Then I have to face the shitstorm. "
Trophies and turnover: FA Cup, Community Shield and summer departures
The season has contained high points alongside the upheaval: in May Palace won their first major trophy, beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup, and then added the Community Shield three months later with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool. At the same time key personnel moved on—winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal, skipper Marc Guehi nearly joined Liverpool before moving to Manchester City five months later, and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was reportedly on the verge of signing for AC Milan but failed a medical.
Conference League path and domestic position ahead of the Friday draw
Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last season, and their first European campaign now continues with the prospect of a last-16 tie against either the Cypriot side Larnaca, who Palace lost to during the group stages, or Mainz from Germany. The club will learn their opponents in the draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT.
Domestically, Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and only three points away from eighth place, which could be high enough to secure a European return next season. Glasner pointed to the players' performances as proof of stability: "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 said, adding there was "great togetherness in the group - players, staff, really positive" and calling this possibly "the best two years in Crystal Palace's history, playing European football for the first time. "
Supporter unrest, matchday atmosphere and an unavailable live blog
Supporter protest and matchday friction have been prominent. A request from the supporters' group responsible for the banner against Glasner and the board to turn off the music so fans could "back the team during the pre-match warm-up" was rejected on the grounds that Uefa's regulations would not allow it. Nevertheless, a large group of travelling supporters who took up position two hours before kick-off 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. Separately, a live blog tied to the match was unavailable during coverage, carrying the notice: "Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. "
European roundup: who else is through and potential last-16 opponents
Across the continent, 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 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 another potential opponent for Villa or Lyon in the Friday 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 through to 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 strike after 28 seconds was the Europa League's fastest in 10 years, though the hosts still prevailed 4-2 on aggregate in that tie.
Panathinaikos played the second half of extra time with 10 men after Javi Hernández was sent off and beat Viktoria Plzen 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 second-leg draw made it 3-3 on aggregate. Andreas Tetteh put the visitors ahead early but Karel Spacil equalised for Plzen; 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 a last-16 tie.
