Crystal Palace labour to win over Fredrikstad - life after Eze looks tough

A night of mixed emotions for Crystal Palace, then, who celebrated their first taste of European football at Selhurst Park without their talisman, Eberechi Eze, whose presence loomed large throughout. The news that Eze is closing in on a £60million move to Arsenal dominated the build-up to a seismic night for Palace, at the end of a tumultuous summer, and while Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 54th minute header gives Palace the advantage heading into next week’s Conference League qualification second leg, Oliver Glasner would have preferred a sturdier advantage before the trip to Norway — and Palace’s place in the tournament proper, which begins in earnest in October, is far from certain.

Daniel Munoz came closest to doubling Palace’s advantage, heading against the post from close range with 12 of the 90 minutes remaining, and how Palace could have done with Eze — so often the hero of the hour — as they laboured to unlock the stubborn visiting defence. Palace dominated throughout and the draw on August 29 should still have Palace’s name in it, but there is work to be done to on Thursday before Oliver Glasner can begin to plan an assault on a competition Palace would be favourites to win.

Glasner knows how to navigate the continent, of course, having tasted glory with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, the competition the Palace manager reiterated that his team should be competing in before this game and the injustice of which still burns bright in South London.

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Glasner explained before kick-off that Eze had called him on Thursday morning to say that he did not “feel well to play the game”, but refused to be drawn on the player’s future. There is no sense, of course, that anyone at Palace will begrudge Eze the opportunity to return to a club whose academy he was released from at the age of 13, particularly when you consider the remarkable story of rejection and resilience that preceded his blossoming at Queens Park Rangers and Palace.

Captain Guehi, who has drawn glances from Liverpool JOHN WALTON/PA WIR

Eze’s winning goal against Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final at Wembley, securing the club’s first major trophy, cemented the 27-year-old legendary status too. But after a tumultuous summer — Palace’s demotion from Europa to Conference League, and the fiery protests and failed appeal that followed — news of Eze’s imminent exit added to the bittersweet feeling at the club as Palace embarked on their maiden European adventure.

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Chairman Steve Parish, writing in his column in the match-day programme, urged the club to “look forward”, and Eze’s absence did not stop Selhurst from throbbing with energy as the players emerged from the tunnel for the club’s first match in a major European competition in their 119-year history.

Glasner said before kick-off that Eze withdrew on Thursday morning CRYSTAL PIX/GETTY IMAGES

Glasner made three changes to the team that drew with Chelsea at the weekend, maintaining a ten-game unbeaten run, with Jefferson Lerma, Borna Sosa and Justin Devenny replacing Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell and, of course, Eze. Marc Guehi, who has drawn covetous glances from Liverpool, wore the captain’s armband as usual and, unsurprisingly, the Conference League anthem was roundly booed before kick-off.

Fredrikstad may be the second most successful team in Norwegian football and once famously shocked the Dutch giants, Ajax, in a European preliminary round in the early 60s, but that is also when they won the last of their nine domestic league titles and last season’s Norwegian Cup triumph, against Molde, earned Andreas Hagen’s side a crack at Europe for the first time in 15 years.

New signing Sosa replaced Mitchell JOHN WALTON/PA WIRE

Fredrikstad were organised and defended doggedly in the first half, with Palace snaffling only half-chances despite their domination of territory and the ball. Guehi headed Lerma’s long-throw over the crossbar and saw another effort blocked. Mateta forced a smart save from the visiting goalkeeper, Martin Borsheim, following an adroit shot on the turn from 20 yards.

The 20-year-old stopper did well to hold on to a low, left-footed drive by Wharton and, before the break, was forced into an acrobatic save from Ismaila Sarr’s close-range header. Fredrikstad’s best opening arrived ten minutes before the break, when Sondre Sorlokk skipped past Lerma and fired the ball across the Palace six-yard box. The ball arrived too fast for the visiting striker, Emil Holten, however, and ricocheted over the crossbar to safety.

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Palace’s breakthrough finally arrived when Fredrikstad failed to clear a Sosa long throw, Will Hughes saw a volley blocked and, from a second bite ate the cherry, Mateta reacted fastest to divert the ball past the helpless ‘keeper. Palace pressed for the goal that would give them a cushion in Norway, but Sosa blazed over the bar following some neat footwork by Sarr, and Guehi fluffed a shot from seven yards.

Crystal Palace: (3-4-2-1): D Henderson 6 — J Lerma 6, M Lacroix 6, M Guehi 6 — D Munoz 6, A Wharton 7, W Hughes 7, B Sosa 7 — I Sarr 7, J Devenny 6 (O Edouard 69, 5) — J Mateta 7.

Fredrikstad (3-5-2): M Borsheim 7 — S Owusu 5 (S. Kvile 76), U Fredriksen 6, M Woledzi 6 — D Eid 6, P Metcalfe 6, L Owusu 6 (R Shein 83), S Sorlokk 6 (H Skogvold 64, 5), S Molde 6 — O Ohlenschlæger 5 (J Bjartalío 76), E Holten 5 (J Nuñez 64, 5). Booked Fredriksen, Eid.

Referee A Papapetrou Attendance 23,013

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