Mateta Sinks Fredrikstad To Give Crystal Palace Advantage In Conference Playoff

It mightiness not beryllium nan Europa League. But moreover nan absence of Eberechi Eze arsenic he closes successful connected his £67.5m move to Arsenal could not spoil Crystal Palace’s first sensation of European shot arsenic they sealed a constrictive triumph successful nan first limb of their Conference League playoff.

After a summertime of uncertainty complete which title they would play in, nan past point that Oliver Glasner would person wanted was to person a telephone from Eze connected nan greeting of nan crippled informing nan Palace head that he was not emotion good capable to play. Yet having struggled to break down well-drilled Norwegian broadside Fredrikstad successful nan first half successful nan absence of their talismanic England forward, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s extremity calmed Palace’s nerves but they could not find a 2nd that could person proved important arsenic they effort to unafraid their spot successful nan group stages of Uefa’s third-tier competition.

Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to triumph successful nan Europa League successful 2022, will cognize that this necktie is acold from complete fixed that they must play nan 2nd limb adjacent week connected an artificial surface. Nothing is ever definite erstwhile it comes to Palace.

Glasner had revealed his disappointment beforehand that Eze would not feature, admitting that it had disrupted his side’s preparations. “It is not what you want to do, to alteration nan starting XI connected matchday, particularly successful this business – nan first clip successful European shot for Crystal Palace,” he said earlier kick-off.

Despite nan lingering consciousness of disappointment of not being capable to return up their spot successful nan Europa League, location was still a consciousness of anticipation connected nan streets of southbound London beforehand. The Conference League anthem was wide booed arsenic nan Palace ultras down nan extremity instantly struck up their chant that takes purpose astatine Uefa, erstwhile part-owner John Textor and nan Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis – each of whom person been blamed for their arguable demotion to this title for supposedly breaking multi-club ownership regulations.

Strictly speaking, Palace person played successful Europe earlier but it was successful nan agelong forgotten Intertoto Cup backmost successful 1998 erstwhile they qualified because they were nan only English squad to use for entry. That escapade lasted only 2 matches successful 4-0 aggregate conclusion against Turkish broadside Samsunspor and having been eliminated successful a playoff while successful complaint of Wolfsburg, Glasner was intelligibly taking nary chances here. Justin Devenny – who scored nan winning punishment successful nan Community Shield triumph – was fixed nan unenviable task of replacing Eze arsenic 1 of 3 changes from their tie against Chelsea astatine nan weekend, pinch Croatia defender Borna Sosa handed his afloat debut.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s header flies complete Fredrikstad's Martin Børsheim Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Fredrikstad, who capped their first play backmost successful Norway’s topflight since 2012 by winning their home cup competition, lined up pinch 5 astatine nan backmost and came fresh to defend. Yet without Eze to animate them, it took Palace clip to find their feet against a broadside that is much than halfway done their convention campaign. Mateta yet forced goalkeeper Martin Børsheim into a prevention aft 20 minutes but different nan vociferous group of travelling supporters had logic to consciousness encouraged. A speculative changeable that flew measurement disconnected target from Marc Guéhi – different Palace subordinate whose early is uncertain – summed up nan hosts’ frustration.

The swaggering Adam Wharton looked for illustration their astir apt imaginative root from his deeper midfield role, though it was from a area that was capable to Mateta swivel and onslaught nan station That seemed to aftermath Palace up and Ismaïla Sarr’s header moments later was conscionable astir scrambled distant to safety.

Glasner did not look happy arsenic he strode down nan passageway and his broadside emerged pinch renewed intent for nan 2nd half arsenic Devenny headed complete a aureate opportunity from Guéhi’s cross. But, to nan location crowd’s relief, they yet recovered nan breakthrough erstwhile Mateta cleverly redirected a bad boy volley from Will Hughes.

Sosa could person extended their lead but he fired conscionable complete aft bully activity from Sarr, pinch Glasner replacing Devenny pinch Odsonne Edouard arsenic they went connected nan attack. Daniel Muñoz deed nan station from Jefferson Lerma’s transverse and Guéhi headed wide from a area but Fredrikstad’s defence was capable to clasp firm. They could moreover person snatched an equaliser astatine nan decease erstwhile substitute Henrik Skogvold dragged his changeable wide successful wounded time. The deficiency of alternatives from nan chair will only fortify Glasner’s lawsuit for reinforcements earlier nan transportation model closes. But aft nan disruption of nan past fewer days, Palace will beryllium beardown favourites to decorativeness nan job.