Maxence Lacroix insists the Eagles will shrug off their Bournemouth setback, shifting focus toward a historic European night as they fight for a spot in the final.
Maxence Lacroix says Crystal Palace must quickly move on from their 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth and focus on Thursday’s Conference League semi-final second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palace were beaten at the Vitality Stadium less than 72 hours after their first-leg win over Shakhtar in Poland. It made for a difficult Premier League afternoon, but Lacroix’s priority afterwards was clear: recover, reset and prepare for one of the biggest European nights in the club’s history.
Speaking to Crystal Palace’s official website, the defender said: “The first thing is that no-one is injured. This is really important because we have a big game on Thursday.”
That was the main positive for Palace on a day when the performance fell below their usual standard. Bournemouth were sharper from the start, and Oliver Glasner’s side never fully recovered from a poor first half.
Lacroix accepted that Palace had not been good enough before the break, but felt the second-half response showed the players had not allowed the game to drift completely.
“I want to say that, in the first-half we were not in the game,” he said. “But in the second-half we changed completely. I think it was better, even just with our intensity.”
The context matters. Palace had little time to recover from a demanding European trip, and Bournemouth arrived in strong form. That does not excuse the result, but it helps explain why Thursday now becomes the clear priority.
The Conference League tie with Shakhtar is still in Palace’s hands, and Selhurst Park is expected to play a major role in the return leg. Lacroix said the squad will not need much extra motivation.
“We have a final to play for,” he said. “We will play in our stadium, in front of our fans. So we don’t need a lot of encouragement for this game. We will be ready.”
That is the message Palace supporters will want to hear. The Bournemouth defeat was a setback, but it does not need to shape the week. Thursday offers the chance to reach a European final in Leipzig, and Lacroix made clear the players know what is at stake.
Bournemouth exposed the effects of Palace’s schedule, but Thursday will shape the mood of the week far more than Sunday. If Glasner’s side respond at Selhurst Park, the defeat at the Vitality Stadium will quickly become a footnote in Palace's season.