Crystal Palace took another confident stride on their European journey after sealing a place in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Conference League with a commanding 2–0 win over Zrinjski Mostar at Selhurst Park, completing a 3–1 aggregate success.
The South London side now await Friday’s draw, where they will face either AEK Larnaca or Mainz, as their maiden European knockout adventure gathers momentum.
On a night that restored belief around Selhurst, Maxence Lacroix was quick to salute manager Oliver Glasner, who has come through an intense and testing spell marked by supporter unrest and speculation over his future following last week’s draw in Bosnia.
Back-to-back home victories have shifted the mood, and Lacroix made it clear the squad never wavered in their trust.
“He’s a big gaffer. He’s a good coach and he proved it by winning two trophies in two years. He has the ability to give us everything to win,” said Lacroix.
“We have shown it before, and now we are back on it. We have worked hard for that. We are happy that we won and can continue the journey. We scored early, a fast goal and it made us happy. When we have good deliveries, it’s easier to score – we have trained for it.
“It was a perfect night for us. We were a little bit angry with our last result against them, but in our house, we showed that we have the quality in this tournament and we are really happy to win in front of our fans.
“It’s beautiful, we are really happy because we deserve it and the journey continues.”
While dreams of May’s final in Leipzig may flicker in the background, Lacroix insisted the focus must remain firmly on the next hurdle.
“We have to go game-by-game. This competition is not easy. We can see every time it is difficult to go and play away or even to play in our house, but today we made the job so this is the most important for us,” he said.
“We have to be respectful and if we play our football, there is a big chance to achieve good results. Every single competition [whether it’s] the Premier League or the UEFA Conference League, we will give 100% because this is our job, and this is why we are paid.”
With belief restored and Europe still calling, Palace now turn their attention to Friday’s draw, hopeful that this journey has plenty of chapters still to be written.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
