Crystal Palace Under-21s travel to Plymouth Argyle tonight knowing victory could secure their place in the EFL Trophy knockout stages for the first time in the club’s history. Darren Powell’s side began the competition with a 2-1 win at Swindon Town and currently lead Southern Group E with three points.
Palace would move to six points with another victory, but qualification would depend on the other result in the group. If Swindon and Newport County draw, both teams would take one point, with an additional point available to the winner of the resulting penalty shootout. Swindon could then reach no more than five points from their remaining fixture, guaranteeing Palace a top-two finish.
A Swindon win would leave the qualification picture open. Palace would still have six points, but Swindon, Plymouth and Newport could all remain capable of matching that total before the final group matches. A Newport victory would also prevent immediate qualification, with both Newport and Plymouth still able to finish above Palace through their remaining fixtures.
A draw or defeat at Home Park would mean the Young Eagles must wait. A draw would give Palace either three or four points depending on the penalty shootout, while a defeat would leave them on three. Their final group match is against Newport at Rodney Parade on Tuesday, 3rd November, at 19:00 BST.
Palace have participated in the EFL Trophy since 2021/22 but have never gone beyond the group stage. Their previous best points total is three, meaning the team can already set a new club record by adding to its tally, while a place in the knockout rounds would represent an even bigger milestone. The match is available to watch live on Sky Sports+ in the UK, with live updates also available through Palace’s Academy coverage.
