- Pino starting to find form for Crystal Palace
- International break a huge aid
- Guessand injury provides huge opportunity
Spanish winger Yeremy Pino was influential off the bench in the memorable 3-0 first leg win in Crystal Palace’s Europa Conference League quarter final against Fiorentina. He then followed it up with an impressive display in a 2-1 comeback win against Newcastle in the Premier League.
With Evan Guessand sidelined for the next 3-4 weeks, Pino has a chance to make the position his own. Tomorrow night’s encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk is the former Villarreal man’s chance to truly shine.
Palace come up against the Ukrainian league leaders and it’s a massive test for all of Oliver Glasner’s men. But for Pino, if he were to come to the fore, it could be the catalyst for him to become a talisman at Selhurst Park.
Steady Improvement for Pino
Still in his first season with the club, Pino has taken his time to settle into life in South London. Signed last summer from Villarreal for £26 million, his start to life at Palace has been somewhat turbulent.
The signs of a top player have always been present: Pino is keen to make things happen and works hard to do so. At times, it felt as if he was trying too hard, and manager Glasner noted that he wanted Pino to relax more and play with more confidence in his ability.
Five goals and four assists are a solid return for a 23-year-old in their first campaign in England, but the feeling that Pino’s form is only going to improve is reverberating amongst the fanbase.
At times, he has been let down by his teammates’ missed chances, with Palace remaining the Premier League’s leading underperformers in expected goals.
Despite his 2.82 expected assists, the Spanish international has only registered one assist in the league. He also leads the squad for big chances created, but has shown inconsistency in front of goal, missing five big chances of his own.
| Yeremy Pino – Conference League | 2025/26 |
| Appearances | 10 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Chances created | 13 |
| Key passes | 11 |
| Ground duels won | 28 (54%) |
| Dribbles success | 14/31 (45%) |
Pino’s underlying numbers hint towards him being a key player for Glasner’s side, leading the squad for key passes per game, and second behind Guessand for successful dribbles per game.
Stats aside, Pino’s improvement is visually recognisable. Demanding the ball more and showing greater impetus when in possession, his overall impact on the side has taken a drastic step forward.
Conference League the Perfect Platform
Consistently called up to the Spanish National team, Pino is rated extremely highly. Playing and training with the likes of Lamine Yamal has seemingly improved his confidence to take players on.
He is clearly a cut above the general talent level in the Conference League, and the tournament is providing him with a great springboard to improve his form.
Confidence is also a clear key to his game, and his recent performances will only improve it. Like any player, a consistent run of starts is going to bring the best out of Pino, and with Evan Guessand’s recent injury, he faces little competition for the starting place on the left-hand side.
Sunday made it three consecutive Palace games where Pino has shone, and he will likely start in Krakow, Poland, on Thursday.
If he is able to continue his form, the starting position will undoubtedly become his to lose, and may cause some trepidation around Guessand’s future.
