Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage has criticized his team’s performance after the Eagles suffered a 3-2 Europa League defeat against Lyon, admitting they fell well short of his expectations during a disappointing first half in France.
Palace travelled to Lyon hoping to build on their 3-1 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, but their European ambitions suffered a setback against Sage’s former club. The visitors struggled to make an impact before the break and conceded twice without registering a shot on target.
Corentin Tolisso gave Lyon the lead before Ernest Nuamah doubled the advantage late in the first half, leaving Palace with a mountain to climb after the interval.
Yéremy Pino reduced the deficit five minutes into the second half, offering the visitors renewed hope of rescuing a result. However, Pavel Sulc restored Lyon’s two-goal cushion, and although substitute Daichi Kamada scored late on, Palace could not complete the comeback.
Sage was particularly unhappy with his players’ mentality and tactical organisation in the opening period, insisting that their overall display was nowhere near the level he expected.
“At the end, we were frustrated by the result, but in the first half we have to be frustrated in the way we play,” Sage said to PalaceTV.
“I think we didn’t play this first half. We are really far off our standards in the mental side of the play, in the tactical side of the play, because the players are too high between our lines and we really struggled a lot with that.
“When you give back the ball to your opponent, you suffer a lot and we were better in the second half. You cannot win this kind of game by playing only one half.”
The defeat came after Palace had shown signs of improvement against Nottingham Forest, with Sage calling for greater consistency following that domestic victory. Against Lyon, however, his team paid the price for defensive vulnerabilities and an ineffective first-half performance.
The French manager also endured a disappointing return to familiar surroundings. Sage was dismissed by Lyon in January 2025 after a 14-month spell in charge, making Thursday’s encounter an emotional reunion that ultimately ended in frustration.
Speaking to UEFA after the match, he admitted that the result overshadowed any personal significance attached to facing his former employers.
“It’s a very disappointing return because we lost. I can’t take satisfaction from coming back home or seeing familiar faces when the result isn’t there.
“The scoreline may have been close, but there was a big difference in the way the two teams played.
“We improved considerably after the break and gave ourselves a chance, but conceding that third goal made things difficult.
“I think our second-half efforts deserved an equaliser, although winning would have been a generous reward given that we only really played [to our level] for one half.”
Palace’s improved performance after the restart offered encouragement, but their inability to sustain that level across the full 90 minutes proved costly. Lyon took advantage of the visitors’ early struggles and held on despite the late pressure.
For Sage, the immediate challenge is to ensure Palace learn from the defeat rather than allow it to derail their progress. His comments made clear that the issue was not simply the final scoreline, but the lack of intensity, discipline and tactical control that left his side chasing the game.
With European competition demanding consistency and concentration, Palace will need a stronger start in their next outing if they are to turn promising spells into positive results.
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