Crystal Palace have made an encouraging entrance to the Europa League, producing a convincing performance against Lech Poznan and showing they can handle the increased quality of European competition.
The result will give supporters renewed belief that Palace can challenge for a place in the knockout stage. Their route to victory was made easier by a number of costly mistakes from the Polish side, but Palace were clinical enough to take full advantage.
Lech defender Terry Yegbe gifted Palace the opening goal with a poor throw, allowing Pino to collect possession and run into the area before finishing. Yegbe later endured another difficult moment when an attempted clearance from around 35 yards flew towards his own goal, although an offside decision prevented the error from producing another goal.
Palace continued to control the contest after the interval, while Lech’s travelling supporters maintained their vocal backing despite having little to celebrate on the pitch. A fourth goal late in the match completed a result that could prove important for Palace after a challenging start to their Premier League campaign, which has brought three defeats in four matches.
The second half also saw Ismaila Sarr return to action for his first appearance of the season. His proposed move to Liverpool had collapsed late in the transfer window, and his introduction was met with a largely positive response, although some boos could also be heard among the applause.
For Palace, the four-goal victory offers a timely lift and an early indication that they may be capable of making their mark at Europa League level.
