Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage believes his side took a step forward in the 2-2 draw with Besiktas, although he was disappointed that their performance did not bring the result he felt it warranted.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Sage compared the display favourably with Palace’s match on Sunday and said the team now had to build on that improvement. His immediate focus is on Sunday’s meeting with Newcastle, where he wants the Eagles to turn their progress into a victory.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was among Palace’s key contributors after scoring in Turkey. Sage expressed his delight for the forward, saying Mateta had not been fully ready to play and later appeared tired, but still showed the commitment to give everything on the pitch.
The goal added to Mateta’s impressive record for the club. Since making his Palace debut in February 2021, he has scored 63 goals in all competitions, which is 26 more than any other player during that period. Eberechi Eze is next on the list with 37.
Sage also highlighted the wider contribution from the squad, pointing to a number of encouraging individual displays while stressing that the team’s performance deserved recognition. However, Palace’s defensive record away from home remains a concern: they have kept only one clean sheet in their last 16 away matches in all competitions and have conceded 33 goals across those games.
