After all the exertions of what was an positive trip all round to Poland in the week, Palace face a second team from Merseyside in a row as the South London side returns to Premier League duty.
So much can be said about the visit to Lublin where the Eagles beat Dynamo Kyiv in Lublin on Thursday evening to get the league phase of the competition off and running.
Those of us that made the trip have stories to last a lifetime even if it was a very surreal experience to be there to witness Crystal Palace competing on the European stage away from home. Lublin and Poland were perfect hosts, and the overrising feeling from the few days in Eastern Europe was positive emotions. If you know, you know….
In what is a quick turnaround time where Palace and the fans will have to navigate Storm Amy that is sweeping the UK this weekend, as many of us found flying back into the country on Friday evening, Oliver Glasner is expected to have no new injury concerns heading into the game.
It has to be said how well Glasner spoke to the press at Arena Lublin in lead up to the Conference League tie this week, particularly his duty of care to those players that are returning to full fitness after injury. This was witnessed with some of the changes against Kyiv, one in particular is goal scorer Eddie Nketiah giving jean-Philippe Mateta some much needed relief up front.
On to this fixture, and it is one that the Eagles have struggled with in recent times as the statistics will tell you. This will be their first visit to the shiny new Hill Dickinson Stadium, so there is a hope that no longer having to play at Goodison Park may alter the fortunes for Palace.
The international break immediately follows this game so while you would expect this to be a welcome break for Palace, much of the squad will be flying all over the world for international duty. One player that we can certainly congratulate though is Jean-Philippe Mateta who received his long awaited call-up for the full French squad.
Meanwhile, Adam Wharton was surprisingly excluded from the England squad which selfishly is probably good news for Palace having only just returned from international duty and having his minutes managed even though he did play the whole game in Lublin.
The fixture list is brutal for Palace on return from this next international break with seven games scheduled the four weeks leading into another break for international fixtures. But as Glasner and the players always say, one game at a time, and the attentions remain firmly focused on Everton and extending the run yet further.
🦅 Crystal Palace: Flying High
- Form: Unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions; the only undefeated team in the Premier League.
- Recent Results:
- 2-1 win vs Liverpool (Premier League)
- 2-0 win vs Dynamo Kyiv (UEFA Conference League)
- Manager: Oliver Glasner
- Key Players:
- Eddie Nketiah – Match winner v Liverpool, goal against Kyiv (scored in all three current European competitions).
- Daniel Muñoz – Scored Palace’s first major European goal.
- Ismaïla Sarr & Jean-Philippe Mateta – Leading the attack.
- Injuries: Cheick Doucouré, Chadi Riad, Caleb Kporha.
- Predicted XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Pino.
🔵 Everton: Searching for Spark
- Form: Winless in last 4 games (D2, L2); unbeaten at home this season.
- Recent Results:
- 1-1 draw vs West Ham
- 2-1 loss vs Liverpool
- Knocked out of Carabao Cup by Wolves.
- Manager: David Moyes
- Key Absences:
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (suspended)
- Jarrad Branthwaite & Merlin Rohl (injured)
- Key Players:
- Jack Grealish – 4 assists this season, expected to play centrally.
- Iliman Ndiaye – Everton’s top scorer (2 goals).
- Predicted XI: Pickford; O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Grealish, Alcaraz; Barry.
⚔️ Head-to-Head & Stats
- Last 21 PL meetings: Palace have won just once.
- Everton unbeaten in last 11 home matches vs Palace.
- Palace: Best defensive record in the league (3 goals conceded).
- Everton: Strong home form, 3 clean sheets in 4 games.
🔮 Prediction
- GOAL.com: Everton 1-2 Crystal Palace
- Sports Mole: Draw likely, Palace to extend unbeaten run
- Goodison News: Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace
