Coming off the back of an uninspiring first leg at home and a goalless draw against a 10-man Leeds United, was far from the ideal build-up to a potentially season-defining game against AEK Larnaca. My confidence was not high and after failing to create any kind of advantage on home soil, Palace travelled away to Cyprus with a job to do.
To their credit, they started brightly. For the first time in weeks, they were able to make their abundance of possession count and show some creativity that had been missing. There was a flow to their play and the breakthrough reflected that.
I was impressed with the developed connection between Ismaila Sarr and Jorgen Strand Larsen, their link-up play looked sharp, it’s just a shame there was minimal final product.
Adam Wharton has been excellent in recent weeks. His influence from midfield has continued to grow, providing a number of assists, most notably the beauty against Spurs – and I wasn’t surprised he made it into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Yet for all Palace’s control, there was still a familiar frustration. Aside from the goal they scored, Larnaca posed no attacking threat, making the goal we did concede even more frustrating. A simple lapse of concentration gave them a way back into the game.
However, there were positives off the bench. I’ve often been highly critical of him, but Yeremy Pino’s introduction was positive. He brought energy and intent, driving the ball up the pitch and helping to shift momentum at a key point.
While perhaps slightly late, it was also great to see Oliver Glasner move away from his usual tactics and play both Strand Larsen and Jean-Philippe Mateta together. Against sides playing the low block – and down to 10 or nine men – the extra man could play a pivotal role, and it does pose the question of could we have got something from the Leeds game if Glasner had taken the risk.
It may be too early to say it, but last time Sarr scored a brace in a cup tie we went on to win the whole thing… it wasn’t the prettiest, but nevertheless, the job got done and our European journey continues!
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