Crystal Palace were held to a goalless draw by AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park in the Conference League last 16, with Oliver Glasner’s side unable to turn early pressure into a first-leg lead.
Crystal Palace will head to Cyprus with work still to do after being held 0-0 by AEK Larnaca in the first leg of their Conference League last-16 tie. Glasner’s side were the more progressive team for long spells at Selhurst Park and created the clearer chances, but they could not find a way through a disciplined visiting defence and goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic. By full-time, the frustration around the ground was obvious, with Palace left to reflect on a night when they had enough opportunities to take an advantage into the return leg.
Palace start on the front foot
Palace began with the urgency the occasion demanded and carved out openings early on. Evann Guessand forced a save from Alomerovic inside the opening eight minutes after good work from Jørgen Strand Larsen, before Adam Wharton fired wide from distance. Ismaïla Sarr then bent an effort over the bar as Palace kept the pressure on and tried to pin Larnaca back around their own area.
There was a clear pattern to the first half. Palace carried more threat, especially down the flanks, while Larnaca were content to sit in, reduce the space between the lines and challenge the home side to break them down. Guessand had another opening in the 19th minute but missed the target, and Palace’s best move of the half came later when Tyrick Mitchell was denied from close range after Daichi Kamada helped the ball across goal.
Control without a breakthrough
For all of Palace’s territorial control, the first half ended without the goal their start had threatened. Adam Wharton’s yellow card late in the half added a slight edge to the evening, but the bigger issue for Glasner’s side was the lack of precision in the final action. Strand Larsen had an effort blocked from inside the box, Kamada missed another opportunity, and Larnaca continued to look increasingly comfortable in their low block as the game wore on.
The second half followed a similar course. Palace continued to probe, but the match became more scrappy and stop-start, which suited the visitors. Chris Richards headed over when well placed, while Sarr and Mitchell both had moments where better execution might have changed the story of the night. Larnaca offered little for long stretches, but they did not need much. Their discipline and shape were enough to keep Palace at arm’s length.
Mateta returns, but Palace cannot force the issue
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s return from injury gave Palace another attacking option late on and briefly lifted the noise inside Selhurst Park. It was an important sight for Palace, even if the striker could not supply the breakthrough on the night. Instead, the final stages brought more anxiety than fluency, and there was even a late scare when Larnaca threatened from one of their few forward moments before Palace recovered.
In the end, this was a match Palace controlled more than they finished. The opening period offered enough encouragement, but the longer the game stayed goalless, the more the visitors were able to drag it towards the result they wanted. Palace still have the second leg to put that right, but this was a missed chance to take command of the tie in south London.