Report: Stalemate at Selhurst as Palace frustrated by Larnaca

Summary:

• Two changes for Palace, with Johnson in for Muñoz on the right flank.
• Lacroix returns from suspension in place of Riad; Mateta returns on the bench.
• 8: Guessand is denied at close range after excellent work from Strand Larsen.
• 13: Sarr curls narrowly over the bar as Palace pepper Larnaca’s goal early on.
• 19: Palace almost break the deadlock through Guessand’s inventive flick.
• 35: Eagles test the visiting defence with a series of threatening deliveries.
• 43: Mitchell reacts quickly to a deflection but his shot is turned over by Alomerovic.
• HT: Palace 0-0 AEK Larnaca
• 50: Canvot reaches inviting set-piece delivery but his header across goal is cleared.
• 56: Sarr stretches to meet Johnson’s brilliant cross, but cannot direct his header on target.
• 67: Johnson threatens from a clever short corner, but curls over the bar.
• 74: Richards plants a header over the bar from Johnson’s floated corner.
• 77: Mateta comes off the bench for first appearance since 25th January.
• 89: Cabrera threatens from a late Larnaca corner.
• FT: Palace 0-0 AEK Larnaca

For the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie, the Eagles made two changes to the side which defeated Tottenham Hotspur so convincingly a week prior, with Maxence Lacroix returning from suspension, replacing Chadi Riad in defence, and Brennan Johnson brought in at right wing-back for the suspended Daniel Muñoz.

Elsewhere, Jean-Philippe Mateta – injured since late January – returned to the matchday squad after resuming training on Monday, beginning the game on the bench.

Frustrated against the Cypriot side on matchday two of the league phase – when Larnaca snatched a 1-0 victory with only four shots to the Eagles’ 15 at Selhurst Park – Palace set about this knockout round rematch with renewed purpose.

With plenty of attacking resource on the pitch, the early passing was slick – and Palace maybe ought to have taken the lead after just eight minutes.

Adam Wharton, instrumental in that aforementioned win in North London, sprayed the ball out to Jørgen Strand Larsen, whose lovely dummy left Angel Garcia slipping on the floor.

The Norwegian lifted his head and squared a brilliant low ball across the six-yard box. Evann Guessand needed to stretch to meet it ahead of his marker – and meet it he did, poking goalwards, only for goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerović to block with his body at point-blank range.

The early attacks – and shots – kept on coming. Strand Larsen was next to test the Serbian ‘keeper with a clever turn and sharp shot, well claimed.

That was moments before the striker’s clever run allowed Ismaïla Sarr – so instrumental for Palace in attack this season – to wriggle between three tackles, only to curl over the bar from the edge of the box on his left foot.

Six minutes later, Guessand threatened again – a clever improvised flick, after Alomerović could only palm away Sarr’s cross – but one which the forward could not control within the posts.

The flurry of chances paved way at that point for a flatter contest, Palace dominating possession – and all the attacking statistics, in truth – but unable to find a consistent way through the Yellow-Greens’ steely low block, which had only conceded one goal in the entirety of the league phase this season.

Johnson and Wharton both threatened the Larnaca goalmouth with in-swinging corners – granted extra power by the blustery conditions in SE25 – but the visitors, to the credit of their persistence, held firm.

Then, on 43 minutes, Palace’s best chance of the whole of the first-half: Daichi Kamada found a pocket of space just inside the box and struck across goal, with a deflection carrying the ball invitingly into the path of the onrushing Tyrick Mitchell.

The No. 3 had already scored in the UEFA Conference League this season and seemed odds-on for another, sprinting onto the ball six yards out. But with Alomerovic rushing to meet him, the ‘keeper – spreading himself – once again made a spectacular save to deny Palace a breakthrough.

That was as good as it got for the hosts before half-time, and the second-half picked up with Larnaca’s defensive by-and-large holding firm from open play.

It was set-pieces where the Eagles looked most likely to open the scoring, with Jaydee Canvot sneaking in behind to meet Johnson’s arching free-kick from deep. The French teenager, perhaps unsure of his position, headed back across goal rather than towards it, and the visitors were able to clear.

Nearly moments kept on flowing for Palace, with Sarr next to come close after getting onto the end of Johnson’s well-struck first-time delivery – but his header glanced wide.

With frustrations mounting, Johnson was next to come close, getting onto the end of an inventive short corner routine – and firing over first-time just outside the area.

There were further chances – Chris Richards planting a header over from Johnson’s hanging delivery, and plenty more threatening crosses into the box.

Mateta made his return from injury off the bench – his first appearance since 25th January – on 77 minutes, and nearly got onto the end of a deflected Sarr cross just seconds later.

But there was also a moment of danger in the final seconds of regulation time, with Enzo Cabrera flashing a header wide in the 89th minute from a corner – the visitors’ only shot in the entire match.

But with no breakthrough made, despite Palace’s general dominance, the Eagles will need to win the second leg in Cyprus in order to progress.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Johnson (Pino, 88), Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Guessand, Sarr, Strand Larsen (Mateta, 77).

Subs: Benitez (GK), Matthews (GK), Riad, Rodney, Cardines, Clyne, Sosa, Lerma, Devenny, Hughes.

AEK Larnaca: Alomerovic (GK), Godswill, Milicevic, Saborit, Garcia (Mudrazija, 87), Pons, Ledes, Miramon (Ioannou, 29), Rohden (Kyriakou, 87), Bajic (Cabrera, 68), Ivanovic (Gurfinkel, 68).

Subs: Paraskevas (GK), Demetriou (GK), Thoma, Loukaidis, Gerasimou, Gonzalez.

As It Happened