Crystal Palace 2-2 KuPS: Eagles secure Conference League playoff after rallying to earn point against 10-man visitors
Crystal Palace will have to accept a spot in the Conference League playoff after salvaging a point against 10-man KuPS during the final evening of group stage matches at Selhurst Park.
Oliver Glasner’s squad approached the match against the Finnish champions aware that a win would guarantee a top-eight position and automatic passage to the last 16.
Christantus Uche provided the hosts, who had made several changes, with an early advantage before quick goals from Piotr Parzyszek and Ibrahim Cisse flipped the game on its head shortly after halftime.
The visitors then faced a setback when Clinton Antwi was sent off for a reckless challenge, allowing Palace to regain momentum, which they capitalized on through Justin Devenny’s equalizer.
Both teams will now advance to a two-legged playoff for a slot in the round of 16.
Eagles strike early on in dominant first half
Glasner made 11 alterations to the lineup that faced Manchester City. It took merely five minutes for the revamped Palace to break through.
A clever passing sequence down the right culminated with the ball reaching Uche on the edge of the penalty area. The Nigerian international cut inside onto his left foot, opening up a shooting angle before executing a magnificent curling finish into the far corner with the outside of his right.
This fast start energized the Selhurst Park crowd before most had even settled into their seats. For the visiting fans and departing head coach Jarkko Wiss, it was an alarming start.
Uche nearly found himself with a second goal at the 15-minute mark when KuPS was caught trying to play from the back, but his attempt from close range was blocked.
Palace threatened again on 27 minutes when the lively rookie Joel Drakes-Thomas delivered a teasing cross that was mere inches from connecting with Romain Esse after KuPS goalkeeper Johannes Kreidl appeared to mishandle.
Esse had another opportunity soon after when he found some space within the box, but his shot from a difficult angle went just past the post.
The momentum shifts toward visitors
Despite Palace’s dominance in the first half, they found themselves equalized soon after the interval. A rare attack from the visitors ended with Parzyszek slotting in their first away goal of the competition following a swift passing sequence through the middle.
A comeback that seemed improbable before the break was realized just three minutes later when Samuli Miettinen’s mishit shot from the edge of the area was poked home by defender Cisse.
Shortly before the hour mark, the Finnish side thought they had further increased their lead, only for the goal to be disallowed due to offside.
With Glasner’s squad appearing shaken, the Austrian coach introduced several first-team regulars to regain control of the match.
One of those substitutes, Will Hughes, became the target of a reckless challenge from Antwi, resulting in a straight red card for the KuPS player.
Palace made the most of their advantage. Just minutes later, a cross from Tyrick Mitchell was met with a header from Devenny that brought the teams level.
As the hosts sought to exploit their numerical advantage, Devenny had a volley saved at the back post by Kreidl before Eddie Nketiah’s follow-up attempt was also stopped, ensuring that the visitors secured a vital point.
Published: 2025-12-18 22:02:00
source: www.101greatgoals.com
