A significantly altered Crystal Palace ended up in the UEFA Conference League knockout stage play-offs after managing a 2-2 draw with a 10-man KuPS team at Selhurst Park.
Finishing in 10th place in the Conference League standings means Oliver Glasner’s team will have to play two extra matches in February. This comes after the Austrian manager had expressed frustration over an “irresponsible” fixture schedule during the holiday season.
Ultimately, the manager will have to hold his team accountable for their missed opportunity to secure a win, as they squandered an early lead against the Finnish champions. Chrisantus Uche’s impressive first-half goal was equalized in the second half.
While the young players were given a chance, Glasner brought on Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah later in search of goals. Palace nearly found the winner through Devenny, but was thwarted by a remarkable save from KuPS’ Johannes Kreidl.
Looking ahead, Palace will head to Leeds for a match on Saturday night, live on Sky, kicking off a busy schedule with three games in eight days, including a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on Tuesday, also live on Sky.
Palace faces fixture congestion!
The Eagles’ inability to secure automatic qualification for the Conference League’s round of 16 means a grueling January and February lies ahead.
Glasner’s side is still in contention for the Carabao Cup, facing Arsenal in the quarter-finals next Tuesday. Should they advance, they’ll be competing across four tournaments over the next two months.
