C Palace 1-0 Fredrikstad (21 Aug, 2025) Game Analysis
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a historic opener as Crystal Palace beat Norwegian side Fredrikstad 1-0 at Selhurst Park in the opening leg of their Conference League play-off.
Palace’s first foray into major European competition was overshadowed by the absence of Eberechi Eze — who sources have told ESPN is close to completing a move to Arsenal — from the team sheet.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner had initially insisted Eze would start, but told Channel 5 before the contest that the 27-year-old had phoned him on Thursday morning to say he did not feel well.
Mateta finally nodded the hosts in front in the 54th minute, and the Frenchman’s goal proved the winner after the Eagles could not capitalise on any further chances.
Captain Marc Guéhi, still linked to Liverpool, was in the starting line-up.
After lifting the FA Cup in May, Glasner’s men expected to be playing in the Europa League, where they would have qualified directly for the league phase.
Their ensuing, convoluted battle over multi-club ownership and subsequent demotion by UEFA to the Conference League ended with the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s rejection of their appeal, with Nottingham Forest, their opponents for Sunday’s Premier League home opener, expected to take the Europa League place.
Palace fans — whose club were as a result forced into this two-legged tie — expressed their displeasure in the form of a “UEFA Mafia” banner and bleep-worthy chants directed at the European governing body and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
If anyone expected a dominant start from the Community Shield holders, facing last season’s eighth-place Eliteserien finishers, it was not the opening they predicted.
It took nearly 15 minutes before the hosts created their first chance, when Guéhi nodded over from Jefferson Lerma’s long throw.
They began to display more intent around the halfway point in the period when Mateta directed a shot straight at Fredrikstad keeper Martin Borsheim, Lerma volleyed goalwards, Adam Wharton fired through a crowd and Justin Devenny — Eze’s replacement — tried to tee up Ismaïla Sarr.
The hosts breathed a sigh of relief when Sondre Sorlokk caught Ulrik Fredriksen with a cross — a touch that might have led to a goal at a slightly different trajectory before Mateta caught the post with a deflected effort from distance.
Palace were knocking at the door before the break, and there were chances for Will Hughes and Devenny — who nodded over — soon after the restart.
Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Mateta broke the deadlock after Fredrikstad failed to deal with Borna Sosa’s throw-in.
Palace took advantage as the ball eventually fell for Hughes, who took a shot.
Mateta saw an opportunity as the effort came toward him, guiding it into the back of Borsheim’s net as he nodded home the Eagles’ first goal of the European campaign.
Daniel Muñoz nearly doubled Palace’s lead, catching the outside of the right post with a header, Odsonne Édouard’s effort struck a black shirt, and Lerma nodded wide — opportunities nearly proved more regrettable when Henrik Skogvold fired just past Dean Henderson’s far post in stoppage time.