Crystal Palace’s bid to win this season’s edition of the Conference League took a slight dent on Thursday night as Oliver Glasner’s men failed to find a first-leg advantage in their tie with AEK Lanarca.
A stalemate at Selhurst Park, a bore draw at that. Neither team able to break down the opposition’s defence in what can only be described as a frustrating evening for the Selhurst Park outfit – 70% possession and nothing to show for it at full time.
Plenty of bluster from the Palace attack but not the ability to blow their Cypriot counterparts down. AEK Lanarca already winning in South London by a goal to nil last October in the league phase, this result will now give them confidence of reaching the last eight of the Conference League.
A second leg at the AEK Arena still to follow, the balance of power now in the hands of manager Javi Rozada and his players. Repeat what they achieved at Selhurst Park and Palace could be under serious pressure.
While there was no doubt that the Cypriots were under the most pressure on Thursday, a point reinforced by not having a single shot on target in the first half. Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things.
Palace’s front three of Ismalia Sarr, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Evann Guessand largely ineffective as a trio. The latter, seeing his eighth-minute save from Zlatan Alomerovic, saved an effort that really should have opened the scoring.
Still no score with 13 minutes left remaining, Palace boss Oliver Glasner deciding to change his attacking personnel. Strand Larsen making way for Jean-Philippe Mateta, the return of the French forward was not universally popular in SE25.
After an aborted move to AC Milan in the January transfer window, the 28-year-old then had a month on the sidelines in a bid to deal with his ongoing meniscus issue. That issue now solved, an issue regarding his long-term future still to be decided.
The sound of boos from Palace supporters may help make Mateta’s mind up for him. Revered at the club in the past couple of seasons, his near exit and the manner in which was conducted clearly not accepted from the Selhurst faithful.
Had Mateta managed to find a winner in the minutes that were remaining, those boos would have turned into cheers. Football fans known to have rather short memories at the best of times, the Palace support seemingly forgetting what their unloved forward had done for them in the past.
As always, this sport is framed through the lens of “what have you done for me lately?”, the optics of Mateta’s flirtation with Milan still a rather sore topic in this pocket of London. That said, there is still the opportunity for redemption next week.
The second leg in Cyprus neatly poised as the winner of the tie will face either Fiorentina or Poland's Rakow Czestochowa in the last eight of the competition - the Italian side leading 2-1 after the first leg in Florence.
