Crystal Palace claim first European win against Norwegian outfit | OneFootball

Jean-Philippe Mateta etched his name into Crystal Palace history by netting their first-ever European goal, securing a 1-0 win over Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad in the opening leg of their Conference League qualifier at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles were on top from the off, but while their visitors made up for a lack of finesse with plenty of graft, Palace’s dominance rarely showed on the scoreboard.

Chances came and went. Mateta struck the post with a deflected effort in the first half, while Daniel Muñoz saw a late header clip the woodwork. In between, Palace were often guilty of snatching at opportunities, with the majority of their attempts sailing harmlessly off target.

The breakthrough finally arrived nine minutes after the restart. Will Hughes’ miscued strike fell kindly, and Mateta was quickest to react, diverting the ball past keeper Martin Borshelm with a smart header.

Oliver Glasner’s men will head to Norway next week with a slender lead in hand. But with the return leg on Fredrikstad’s artificial surface, there’s still work to be done before Palace can be sure of a spot in the group stage.