Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace: Eagles safely through to Conference League group phase with bore draw

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·28 de agosto de 2025

Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace: Eagles safely through to Conference League group phase with bore draw

Eagles took a precious lead into the away leg

Crystal Palace confirmed their place in the Conference League group phase with a goalless draw away at Fredrikstad.

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The Eagles took a slender one-goal advantage with them to Norway for the second leg of their play-off, as Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal at Selhurst Park in the first leg.

Here, Palace were solid in defence but uninspiring in attack, as the hole left by Eberechi Eze in their front three looked humungous. Daichi Kamada returned from injury to take Eze’s place on the left of the attacking midfield duo, but the Japanese’s introduction back into the side could not fire Palace to a goal in Scandinavia.

Oliver Glasner cut a frustrated figure at times as the Norwegian side kept out the Premier League outfit with relative ease, and they looked to throw the kitchen sink at Palace in the dying embers with long balls and long throws galore.

Chris Richards went closest for the visitors as he glanced a header agonisingly wide on eight minutes, and neither side really threatened after that, with both Dean Henderson and Martin Borsheim hardly tested.

Henderson did have a nervy moment where he flapped at a Daniel Eid long throw, which could have fallen for a Fredrikstad body, but the England goalkeeper survived the scare.

However, the south Londoners held firm to reach the league phase of the Conference League, where they will find out who they will play in the tournament proper on Friday at noon in the draw from Monaco.