Crystal Palace Frustrated by Larnaca Again in Conference League Draw
This was a severe case of deja vu for Crystal Palace on their maiden European adventure, although at least this time they managed to avoid defeat. After surprisingly losing to Larnaca here 139 days ago in the league stage, Oliver Glasner’s side were again left to rue missed opportunities and a lack of creativity in attack despite the return of Jean-Philippe Mateta as a late substitute.
Missed Chances and Tactical Struggles
The France striker received a mixed reception from the home fans after his failed transfer made him public enemy number one for some. But having missed six weeks due to a knee injury that scuppered his move to Milan in January, he could not inspire Palace to victory after coming off the bench to replace £48m club record signing Jørgen Strand Larsen.
Glasner will be scratching his head for solutions before next week’s second leg in Cyprus. Perhaps his system will be better suited to playing away, but Larnaca will surely see no reason to change their tactics now they have kept Palace at bay for 180 minutes.
Palace had just ended a club record unbeaten run of 19 matches that included their FA Cup final win against Manchester City the last time Larnaca were in south London – and there have been plenty of changes at both clubs since then.
New Managerial Dynamics
While Glasner remains manager of Palace, for now, despite a turbulent few months, the Cypriot side appointed Spaniard Javi Rozada to replace his compatriot Imanol Idiakez last week after they missed out on winning their domestic league title.
Glasner said that he was unsure of what to expect from his new counterpart. But given the win against Palace in October was Larnaca’s only victory in their nine previous away games in Europe, he opted to go on the attack. Brennan Johnson started in an unfamiliar role at right wing-back in the absence of Daniel Muñoz with a shoulder injury, while Maxence Lacroix was back in central defence after suspension.
Key Moments and Near Misses
Evann Guessand should have opened the scoring in the eighth minute when he was picked out on the edge of the six-yard box by Strand Larsen. Somehow his shot cannoned into the chest of goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic. Strand Larsen should have made more of a pass into the area after a wriggling run from Daichi Kamada, before Ismaïla Sarr curled just over in a whirlwind start.
Yet Larnaca – who ended up eighth in the league stage, two places above Palace – once more showed their resilience as they sat in a low block and managed to keep their hosts at arm’s length. A couple of half-chances from corners came and went, but a reckless challenge from Adam Wharton on Dorde Ivanovic before the break showed that Palace were growing in frustration.
Tyrick Mitchell almost pounced on Kamada’s cross that bobbled to the back post, but Alomerovic stuck out a leg and managed to deflect the ball over the crossbar. It was threatening to turn into another one of those nights for Palace as Glasner trudged off the pitch at half-time with his hands plunged deep into his jacket pockets and looking like a manager with plenty on his mind.
Second Half Struggles and Substitutions
By contrast, the luxuriously tanned Rozada looked most comfortable in his cream chinos and wafer-thin jacket despite the gusty wind and rain that swept over Selhurst Park at the start of the second half and made playing conditions very tricky.
Alomerovic had to be alert to clear a dangerous cross from Wharton with Strand Larsen lurking within 60 seconds of the restart before the England midfielder mishit a shot when Larnaca failed to clear a free kick.
Mateta was all smiles as he warmed up on the touchline, and increasingly it felt like Palace would have to turn to the 28-year-old. A brilliant cross from Johnson that Mateta would surely have gobbled up skimmed off Sarr’s head soon after, with the £35m signing from Spurs constantly getting the better of his man down the right flank.
Strand Larsen showed his commitment to the cause by chasing back almost the entire length of the pitch when Wharton lost possession. Johnson had trouble keeping the ball in the corner quadrant as the conditions got worse, but Chris Richards should have hit the target with a free header.
Late Drama and Looking Ahead
Mateta was finally introduced with 13 minutes left and could have scored with his first touch after the ball deflected into his path from Sarr’s cross. Larnaca even threatened to snatch it late on, but Palace must now do it the hard way next week in Cyprus, facing an uphill battle to advance in the Conference League.
