Pierre Sage believes Crystal Palace are in a stronger position to face Lyon after their comeback victory over Nottingham Forest.
Palace endured a difficult opening period at Selhurst Park, falling behind to Dan Ndoye’s early goal as Forest, managed by former Eagles boss Oliver Glasner, applied pressure. Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma turned the match around before half-time, before Yeremy Pino added a third goal to secure Sage’s first home victory at Selhurst Park.
Sage acknowledged that the performance was not flawless, but said the result could help Palace prepare for the Europa League challenge in Lyon. He indicated that winning provides a calmer platform for the squad, allowing the players to work without the same level of doubt before their next match.
The Palace manager also stressed that his side must accept that some victories will require resilience rather than complete control. In his view, overcoming Forest was more valuable ahead of Lyon than producing an impressive display and losing.
Palace now turn their attention to the European fixture, with Sage believing the Forest result has put the team in a better condition mentally as they prepare for the game in Lyon and the match that follows it.
