Jean-Philippe Mateta made his first appearance for Crystal Palace since failing a medical and missing out on a move to AC Milan in January. All of the pre-match talk was about the French striker and how fans would react to his return to action.
Oliver Glasner started Mateta on the bench against AEK Larnaca and waited until the 78th minute to bring him on. The home supporters were divided when he was introduced late on, with some booing and some cheering the 28-year-old.
Those who jeered the Frenchman still clearly have issues with the manner in which he attempted to secure a January transfer. He didn’t manage to change their minds in his brief spell on the pitch, but he certainly has time to do so.
Mateta’s mixed reaction
Mateta went public with his desire to leave Palace in the winter and, as such, hurried to Paris for medical treatment when Milan agreed to a £30m fee. The former Mainz frontman thought he was set to sign for one of Europe’s heavyweights until issues with his knee saw them pull the plug.
Glasner revealed shortly after his return that the club’s doctors determined surgery wasn’t required. He insisted that the forward will be back playing for the Eagles and with full commitment.
Mateta was sidelined for over a month before making his return tonight. He now knows he has plenty of making up to do following the reception he received.
You can watch Mateta’s introduction and the fan response below:
The ideal reply from Mateta would have been to score a crucial winner for Palace, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Glasner’s men were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw against a Larnaca team that managed just one shot all game.
Mateta must rediscover last season form
If Mateta wants to make amends with fans who still feel betrayed by the Frenchman, he has to get back to his old ways. He was among the best strikers in the Premier League last season and played a key role in the FA Cup triumph.
The Eagles striker netted 17 goals and four assists in 46 games across competitions. He started the ongoing campaign with a decent tally of 10 goals and two assists in 34 games.
Mateta wasn’t the same domineering target man, though, clearly distracted by the noise surrounding his future. That can no longer be the case if he wants to get back on good terms with supporters who felt let down in January.
The perfect way to start would be to be the Eagles’ saviour in the second leg at AEK Arena next Thursday (March 19th). Scoring his first Conference League goal of the season might just change the mood.
