Crystal Palace will make history at 20:00 BST tonight when they play their first-ever UEFA Europa League match, welcoming Lech Poznań for their European opener.
The Eagles have avoided defeat in their last six European fixtures at home. They have also scored at least twice in five of those six matches, providing encouragement ahead of a landmark night at Selhurst Park.
This will be Palace’s first European meeting with Polish opposition, despite the club having played twice in Poland last season. Lech, meanwhile, have faced English teams four times and have recorded just one victory: a 2010/11 Europa League group-stage win over Manchester City. Their other three matches against English sides ended in defeat.
Lech have shown a consistent ability to find the net away from home in Europe, scoring in each of their last 15 such matches. Their nine-game unbeaten run ended on Saturday, however, when they were beaten 2-1 by Górnik Zabrze in the Ekstraklasa.
Palace also have Daichi Kamada entering the contest in impressive creative form. The midfielder has recorded one goal and three assists across the club’s last three matches. With a Premier League side having lifted the Europa League in each of the past two seasons, the Eagles will hope to begin their own campaign with a statement performance.
