Crystal Palace’s Europa League journey begins at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening, with Lech Poznań providing the opposition in a 20:00 BST kick-off. The Polish club arrive in south London as the reigning Ekstraklasa champions after finishing four points clear of Górnik Zabrze last season.
Lech have strengthened during the summer, adding Celtic winger Luis Palma for £3.4 million and Metz defender Terry Yegbe for £2.6 million. Their route into the Europa League was less straightforward, however, after they suffered a dramatic Champions League qualifying exit against Danish side AGF. Having won the first leg 4-1 away, Poznań lost the return fixture by the same score before being eliminated in the penalty shoot-out.
The Railwaymen responded emphatically in Europa League qualifying. They defeated Klaksvík 6-0 on aggregate before recording a 9-2 aggregate victory over Swiss side Thun. That form underlines the challenge facing Palace, with Lech also possessing recent knockout experience from their run to the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League quarter-finals, where Fiorentina ended their campaign.
Lech’s league-phase schedule includes meetings with Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica and Sunderland, while their ambition will be to secure a top-16 finish. Taking maximum points from their home fixtures could give them an opportunity to push for a top-eight place and automatic qualification for the last 16, but Thursday’s visit to Selhurst Park represents a demanding opening test.
The Polish champions have faced English opposition twice in competitive European football. Liverpool defeated them 5-0 on aggregate in the 1984/85 European Cup, while their more recent meeting with an English club came against Manchester City in the 2010 Europa League group stage. City won 3-1 in Manchester, but Lech claimed a 3-1 victory in the return fixture—one of the matches associated with the origin of the celebrated ‘Poznań’ supporters’ celebration.
Lech have been managed by Niels Frederiksen since May 2024. The Danish coach previously led Brøndby to their first league title in 16 years, having also managed Esbjerg fB and Lyngby in the Danish Superliga. Palace will therefore face a side combining domestic success, European ambition and a coach with experience of delivering silverware.
