Crystal Palace saw their unbeaten run come to an end as they suffered a setback in the Conference League against Strasbourg.
Crystal Palace saw their unbeaten run come to an end as they suffered a setback in the Conference League against Strasbourg.
The visitors moved in front after Jean-Philippe Mateta released Tyrick Mitchell, who drove a precise shot across the goal to break the deadlock.
Before the interval, the English side should have stretched their margin when Ismaila Sarr struck the upright from a distance with the net unguarded after an error from Mike Penders.
Palace entered the break ahead but were unable to capitalize on their superiority in the final third.
The hosts restored parity shortly after play resumed, with captain Emanuel Emegha converting a low delivery from Diego Moreira.
Palace soon had another clear opening when Penders drifted out of position again, only for Adam Wharton to rattle the bar from outside the box.
Moments later, the Strasbourg goalkeeper redeemed his earlier mistakes by springing across the goal to block Yeremy Pino’s close-range effort.
Palace’s wastefulness grew costly as the second half continued to unfold.
Strasbourg claimed the winner when Julio Enciso’s free kick crashed against the crossbar, allowing Samir el Mourabet to turn in the rebound.
Palace ended with 16 attempts and frequent possession in the home side’s penalty area but failed to turn pressure into points.
The contest mirrored their defeat to AEK Larnaca earlier in the campaign, with dominance again yielding no reward.
Will Hughes’ withdrawal before halftime, following a heavy blow to his knee, added further frustration for Oliver Glasner’s squad.
The result leaves Palace with two victories and two losses from their six league-phase fixtures so far. Their position—18th in the overall standings—now places significant strain on their bid to secure a top-eight finish and direct passage to the last 16.
With only six matches played in this stage of the competition, failure to close out chances has become a recurring theme for the Premier League side.
Teams placed outside the top 24 will exit the tournament, intensifying the importance of their remaining schedule.
