Crystal Palace are set to participate in the knockout stages of a European competition for the first time as they continue their Europa Conference League campaign. A 2-0 (3-1 aggregate) victory over Bosnian minnows Zrinjski Mostar secured Oliver Glasner’s side’s place in the last 16.
The Eagles are one of the favourites to win the competition, and they were demoted to UEFA’s third-tier tournament due to ownership rules. The league phase wasn’t pretty, with a 10th-placed finish missing out on automatic qualification.
If Palace are to win a third major trophy and end Glasner’s reign on a high, they know what their fate is. The draw for the knockout rounds was conducted on Friday, and a familiar face awaits them.
Round of 16
Palace were drawn against AEK Larnaca in the Round of 16 of the Europa Conference League, and revenge will be on the team’s minds. They, of course, suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to the Cypriot side in the league phase, a truly frustrating night at Selhurst Park.
Larnaca fared well during the league phase, finishing eighth in the table, two points above Glasner’s men. They were one of only three teams to go unbeaten, which makes them dangerous opposition for the South Londoners.
One positive that Palace can take from the defeat back in October was that they dominated proceedings, but just couldn’t find the cutting edge. Hopefully, Glasner will have Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah back for the tie against the Cypriots.
Quarter-final
Should Palace manage to beat Larnaca, they come up against either Serie A side Fiorentina or Polish outfit Rakow. A meeting with the Italians might be preferred, given they aren’t performing well this season.
Even with former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea between the sticks, they have only just battled their way out of the Serie A drop zone. La Viola finished way down in 15th in the Conference League table and only just secured a last 16 place with a 5-4 aggregate win over Jagiellonia Białystok.
Rakow were a surprise package during the league phase and managed an impressive second-place finish. They did so unbeaten and could be tricky customers for Palace should the two sides clash in the quarter-finals.
Semi-final
Palace’s dreams of a Conference League final would then rest on beating one of four strong European sides. Lech Poznan, who are in the Polish league title race, Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk, Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and Czech outfit Sparta Praha.
Of those four teams, Alkmaar are the only ones whom Glasner’s men have already faced in Europe this season. The Eagles surged to a 3-1 win over the Eredivisie side, which makes them probably the most desired semi-final.
Final
A win over any of those teams would mean Palace head to Leipzig with Glasner’s final game in charge coming in a European final. There are eight possible opponents who were drawn on the other side of the bracket.
Turkiye’s Samsunspor, Spain’s Rayo Vallecano, Slovenia’s Celje, Greece’s AEK Athens, Czech’s Sigma Olomouc, Germany’s Mainz, Croatia’s Rijeka, and France’s Strasbourg. The latter topped the table during the league phase and could be the ones to beat.
What better way for Glasner to bid farewell than to guide the South Londoners to a first-ever European title? It might just be even more special than the FA Cup final win at Wembley.
