The pressure on Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner is mounting following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Zrinjski Mostar in the first leg of the Conference League finals.
The out-of-form visitors, who arrived at the Bjeli Brijeg Stadium having won just one of their last 14 games, were on track for a much-needed victory in freezing Bosnia thanks to Ismaila Sarr’s first-half opener.
But despite having 73 per cent possession in Mostar, Glasner’s men were unable to protect their lead as Carlo Abramovic scored a deserved equaliser, and things could have been much worse for the Eagles as the video assistant referee recommended a second-half penalty but on-field officials ruled otherwise.
How Zriniski frustrated the Eagles
In what was Palace’s first knockout tie in Europe, and perhaps the most important game of the entire season, it was Sarr who sealed the breakthrough with a brilliant move just two minutes before half-time.
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr scores early against Mostar
Jorgen Strand Larsen, signed for £43m in January, played the ball neatly to the Senegalese forward, whose curling shot curled into the bottom corner from inside the area.
However, the visitors were not so lucky 10 minutes after half-time, although they had already been warned in the first half when the Bosnian champions exploited a clear gap with Antonio Ivancic’s wasted overshoot.
An otherwise impressive Adam Wharton gave the ball away in their own half and within two passes Leo Mikic fed Abramovic, whose low finish denied Dean Henderson a chance and showed why Zriniski are unbeaten at home in Europe this season.
Zrinyski’s players celebrate the equalizer against Crystal Palace
Palace, who lost Maxence Lacroix to injury, will feel they should have had more shots against a side who finished 23rd in the league, although Wharton’s powerful drive from distance hit the bar with 19 minutes remaining.
And the pressure on Palace’s clearly disgruntled head coach, targeted by some of the away fans with chants of “I want Glasner sent off”, would have increased if referee Manfredas Lukjanciukas had decided to award a penalty in the 82nd minute for a handball on Daniel Muñoz.
However, the on-field referee ruled, contrary to VAR, that the Palace wing-back had been fouled just before actually handling the ball, giving the Eagles a golden chance to advance to the last 16 in next week’s second leg against either AEK Larnaca or Mainz. This game will take place at a sure-to-be rocking Selhurst Park.
Glassner: We have to be very self-critical – simple mistakes can kill momentum.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glassner talks about TNT Sports:
“It was the same against Burnley. We were controlling the game, we were in the lead, and we just made two easy mistakes. And when you look at all the chances, we’re always overloaded. But then you can’t defend one-on-one.”
“When you’re leading and controlling the game like we did today, you can’t give them such easy chances.
“And this is what we have to do. We have to be very self-critical today. Like against Burnley, we are controlling the game but a simple mistake can kill us.”
“And that’s probably what we have to learn. We have some young players on defense, but they should be quick to learn.”
What will happen to Palace?
Sunday, February 22nd 12:30pm
Kickoff at 2pm
