Crystal Palace’s academy will be represented twice this weekend, as the Under-18s travel to Ipswich Town on Saturday before the Under-21s visit Leeds United the following day.
Javier Alonso’s U18s meet Ipswich at the club’s training ground at 12:00 BST on Saturday, 17 October, in the U18 Premier League South. Palace have improved after a challenging opening to the campaign, recovering from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Fulham before defeating Leeds 3-0 in the U18 Premier League Cup last weekend.
Donte Martin scored twice against Leeds, including an acrobatic opener and a chip over the goalkeeper, while Raihaan Anderson also found the net. Jamar Lee, Oladotun Lamidi and Martin were Palace’s scorers in the comeback against Fulham, with Lamidi and Martin subsequently nominated for September’s Goal of the Month. The cup victory kept the Eagles’ title defence alive.
Darren Powell’s U21s will then face Leeds at 12:00 BST on Sunday, 18 October, in Premier League 2. Palace opened their league season with a goalless draw at Arsenal and a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, but a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers was followed by further losses in the EFL Trophy and Premier League International Cup. The Blackburn match saw Palace create several chances and miss two penalties.
The result left the Young Eagles 18th in the 26/27 Premier League 2 table on four points, placing them in the cross-cut play-off positions. Leeds sit 10th with seven points from four league matches, having beaten Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion, drawn with Middlesbrough and narrowly lost to Liverpool. Palace will be looking to return to winning form against Scott Gardner’s side.
Both matches will be shown live on Palace TV+, with live commentary available through the club’s Academy X account. Match reports and reaction will follow in Palace’s Academy news section, while highlights and extended reaction will also be available on Palace TV+.
