Four-and-a-half months after they first met, AEK Larnaca proved to be Crystal Palace’s kryptonite yet again as the Eagles were held to a frustrating stalemate in the first leg of their Conference League last-16 tie.
Just like on that October night when the Cypriot side won 1-0, Palace dominated possession and controlled proceedings, yet they failed to score in a game that was almost a carbon copy of that first meeting.
Palace’s struggles to break down low blocks have been a familiar theme of their European campaign, although to their credit Larnaca have now only conceded once in seven matches in this competition.
The positive for Palace this time was that they didn’t lose, but their Conference League hopes hang in the balance ahead of next week’s second leg.
‘It was not our top performance, but we had enough chances to win,’ Glasner said post-match. ‘We were very dominant, but we missed the most important part – scoring a goal.
‘We have to accept they defended very well so credit to them and credit to their keeper for two big saves.’
Crystal Palace were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by AEK Larnaca in the first leg of their Conference League last-16 tie
Palace failed to score against Larnaca again after they lost 1-0 to the Cypriot side in the League Phase
Jean-Philippe Mateta came off the bench to make his first appearance since his deadline day move to AC Milan fell through
The mood around Palace and Glasner has changed dramatically over recent weeks thanks to a run of three wins in four in the run-up to Thursday, and that positivity was felt in the atmosphere before kick-off.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was back in the matchday squad for the first time since his deadline day move to AC Milan fell through, and the Frenchman was received warmly by the home faithful when he came out to warm-up.
Elsewhere, Brennan Johnson, who has struggled to make an impact since his January move from Tottenham, was deployed in an unfamiliar wing-back role in a bold but sensible call from Glasner in the absence of Daniel Munoz.
The Welshman provided pace and creativity on the right in a game where Palace had over 70 per cent of possession. Johnson also found himself in a more natural position on the pitch given he has not looked entirely comfortable when featuring in either of the No 10 roles that are part of Glasner’s system.
The Eagles made a bright start and Evann Guessand had the best of their early chances, but as the half went on, the Cypriots – whose boss Javi Rozada was overseeing his first game in charge – took the sting out of things and barely gave up any space.
Tyrick Mitchell should have put Palace ahead on the stroke of half-time when Daichi Kamada’s deflected effort fell to him yards out, yet Larnaca stopper Zlatan Alomerovic made a superb save.
Johnson became increasingly influential in the second period with a series of teasing crosses, but he was as guilty as anyone when he blazed over a good opportunity from the edge of the area.
The story was set up for Mateta to provide the sparkle off the bench, and when he was introduced in the 77th minute, the Selhurst Park crowd cheered, although there was also a smattering of jeers.
‘It’s good to have him back,’ Glasner said. ‘He always gives 100 per cent for this team and he can have a big impact in helping us end the season well.’
Palace continued to huff and puff, but Mateta was kept quiet and Larnaca held firm on a frustrating yet familiar night in South London that ended with home fans making their disappointment known.
‘We will play the third game against them and it’s now time to score,’ the Austrian added. ‘It’s clear if they only concede one in the group stage they won’t concede three or four against us tonight.
‘We will watch the game back on Monday and hopefully find some areas where we can exploit them a bit more.’
Crystal PalaceOliver Glasner
