Crystal Palace Under-21s face German side Borussia Mönchengladbach in our final, must-win Premier League International Cup group-stage fixture on Wednesday (18th February, 19:00 GMT) at Sutton’s VBS Community Stadium – get the full lowdown below.
The match will be streamed live on Palace TV+ on Wednesday evening (18th February, 19:00 GMT) – click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
Can’t watch live? Follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction available shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and reaction will also be available on Palace TV+.
Darren Powell’s Under-21s come into Wednesday’s crucial Premier League International Cup clash on the back of a strong 2-1 Premier League 2 win over Fulham, ending the Cottagers’ 13-game unbeaten run.
The first half in south London was cagey, with possession shared and chances limited on a tricky surface, but Palace gradually imposed themselves. Joe Gibbard’s pressing led to the opening goal, with Seb Williams rifling a superb half-volley after a slick passing move involving Zach Marsh and Benji Casey.
Just before the interval, Rio Cardines doubled the advantage. Charlie Walker-Smith’s long throw found Marsh, who cleverly laid the ball into Cardines’ path. The wing-back’s precise strike across goal put Palace firmly in control at half-time.
Fulham halved the deficit after the hour mark through Brad De Jesus from an inswinging corner, and the visitors pressed for an equaliser. Palace, however, defended resolutely, surviving late scares and an offside call to secure the three points.
The win lifts Palace to 11th in Premier League 2 on 21 points, four clear of the play-off positions, providing a boost of confidence as the season reaches a crucial stage.
In the Premier League International Cup, Palace have shown they can match Europe’s best.
After a narrow 1-0 defeat to Valencia, the young Eagles responded with a 3-1 victory over Juventus, racing into a commanding first-half lead through Adler Nascimento, Seb Williams, and Benji Casey. A late Juventus strike set up a tense finale, but George King’s heroic goal-line block preserved a deserved win.
Momentum continued with a thrilling 3-2 triumph over FC Nordsjælland. Dylan Reid opened the scoring after reacting quickest to a blocked free-kick, Casey lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to double the advantage, and Reid added a third from the penalty spot. Despite late pressure – including a stoppage-time effort from Hjalte Rasmussen – Palace held firm, keeping their knockout hopes alive ahead of Wednesday’s decisive clash.
Like Juventus, Borussia Mönchengladbach do not operate a traditional U21s side. Instead, their reserve team – Borussia Mönchengladbach II – competes in senior football against semi-professional and fully professional opposition.
Gladbach II currently compete in the Regionalliga West, the fourth tier of German football. The league represents the first step of senior football below the national divisions, with teams split regionally.
Mönchengladbach have a long-standing reputation for developing young talent. Nicknamed Die Fohlen (The Foals) for their youthful and energetic style, the club built sustained success in the 1970s by developing homegrown players, winning the Bundesliga five times during that decade.
That philosophy continues today, with their reserve side acting as a bridge between academy football and the Bundesliga. World-class players such as Lothar Matthäus and Marc-André ter Stegen emerged from the club’s system.
This season, Gladbach II sit sixth in the Regionalliga West, level on 32 points with Borussia Dortmund II, and arrive in good form.
In the Premier League International Cup, they have impressed – edging past both West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City by 3-2 scorelines before recording a comfortable 2-0 victory over Fulham.
First introduced in the 2014/15 season, the Premier League International Cup was designed to give Premier League academies valuable experience against elite international opposition.
The competition features the top 16 finishers from Premier League 2 alongside 16 invited international academy sides. Teams are split into four groups of eight, each containing four PL2 clubs and four international teams.
Each side plays four group-stage fixtures, with PL2 clubs hosting international opponents. The top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals.
Every side in Group B has completed their four matches except Palace and Borussia Mönchengladbach, meaning Wednesday night will decide the final qualification picture under the lights in Sutton.
Gladbach currently sit on nine points with a goal difference of +4 (8:4), level on points with Valencia, who also have nine points but a slightly inferior goal difference of +3 (8:5). Palace enter the final round on seven points with a goal difference of +2 (6:4).
Darren Powell’s side know that only a victory over Mönchengladbach will give them a chance of reaching the knockout stages. A draw or defeat would see Palace eliminated.
With all three sides potentially able to finish level on nine points, goal difference is likely to be decisive. A win by two goals or more would place Palace in a strong position to secure qualification, while a narrower victory would leave the young Eagles reliant on goal difference and other tie-breakers.
Borussia Mönchengladbach expected XI: Trippel, Uwakhonye, Meiser, Lieder, Berko, Fleck, Stange, Vidic, Adozi, Güner, Michaelis.
Mönchengladbach’s starting XI has been relatively settled in recent weeks, though Danfa and Dasbach could feature ahead of Adozi and Güner depending on selection.
Mönchengladbach arrive in south London top of Group B with a 100% record, having won all three of their International Cup fixtures to date. They have scored eight goals – joint-most in the group – and boast one of the strongest attacking returns in the competition.
Domestically, Gladbach II have also found consistency, winning three of their last five Regionalliga West matches, including back-to-back victories over Bocholt and Bochum.
Jan Urbich has enjoyed a prolific season since joining the Gladbach U23s for the 2025/26 campaign. He made a remarkable start in the Regionalliga West, scoring 11 goals in his first eight matches, earning a call-up to the Bundesliga squad under then-caretaker head coach Eugen Polanski, who handed him his senior debut.
Fritz Fleck joined Gladbach from Borussia Dortmund’s U19s ahead of the 2024/25 season and impressed immediately. He scored nine goals and registered four assists in the DFB Youth League and has continued that form at senior level. Despite being eligible for the U19s, Fleck has featured regularly for Gladbach II and has already scored three goals in the Premier League International Cup this season.
Sascha Eickel began his managerial career at SC Neheim before moving into academy football with Paderborn and later Borussia Dortmund, where he coached both the U17 and U19 sides.
After nine years at Eintracht Braunschweig – progressing from youth coach to assistant manager – Eickel joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2019 as U19 manager. The 50-year-old currently oversees both the U19s and U23s and will be on the sidelines for the remainder of the campaign. This comes after Eugen Polanski earned promotion as first-team manager.
The match will be streamed live on Palace TV+ on Wednesday evening (18th February, 19:00 GMT) – click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
Can’t watch live? Follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction available shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and reaction will also be available on Palace TV+.
Crystal Palace Under-21s v Borussia Monchengladbach Under-21s
Tickets can also be purchased by clicking here and will be issued at the point of sale as PDF print-at-home tickets.
