CRYSTAL PALACE COULD not break free of their recent struggles as they wobbled away to Zrinski Mostar and drew their Europa Conference League game 1-1 on Thursday.
The Londoners dominated the first half and took the lead a minute before the break when Jorgen Strand Larsen set up Ismaila Sarr, who curled the ball into the far corner.
But Palace, playing their first European knock-out game, had won only once since early December and their control of the game evaporated at the start of the second half.
After 55 minutes, Adam Wharton gave the ball away in midfield and the hosts pounced. Leo Mikic found Karlo Abramovic galloping through the inside-right channel, and the attacker drilled a low shot home.
As Palace faltered, Abramovic almost wriggled through for a second.
Wharton smashed a shot against the Zrinski bar, but Palace had an 84th-minute scare when the video officials told referee Manfredas Lukjancukas to look at the pitchside video to check for a potential penalty for handball by Palace defender Daniel Munoz.
Lukjancukas disagreed and concluded that Munoz had been fouled into touching the ball.
In Yerevan, Hovhannes Hambardzumyan scored the only goal as hosts Noah beat former Uefa Cup finalists AZ Alkmaar 1-0, in a game that saw Ireland international Troy Parrott complete 90 minutes.
Elsewhere, in Tampere, Finland, hosts KuPS were reduced to 10 men after 12 minutes when Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba fouled Antoni Kozubal, who had just put Lech Poznan a goal up. Taofeek Ismaheel added a second for the visitors before half-time.
Meanwhile, Vitor Pereira made a dream start as Nottingham Forest manager with a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs on Thursday.
Pereira became Forest’s fourth boss this season after agreeing an 18-month deal to replace the sacked Sean Dyche on Sunday.
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He made an immediate impact as the Premier League strugglers powered to an impressive victory in Istanbul, thanks to goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Forest’s dominant display puts them in pole position to finish the job in the second leg at the City Ground on 26 February.
If they reach the last 16, Pereira’s side would play Real Betis or Midtjylland.
Perched perilously just three points above the Premier League relegation zone, Forest’s main aim is to avoid dropping into the Championship.
But extending their first European campaign since 1995-96 would be a notable feat for a club starved of continental success since the Brian Clough era.
Pereira had been out of work since being sacked by Wolves in November after a dismal start to this season.
Managing Forest is hardly a guarantee of job security, however.
Dyche, axed last week, was in charge for just 114 days.
His departure followed the end of Ange Postecoglou’s 39-day reign in October, which came after Nuno Espirito Santo, sacked in September, lasted just 21 months at the helm.
Pereira has worked with volatile Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis during his spell with Olympiacos.
But to survive at Forest, he needs to hit the ground running, and victory over his former club Fenerbahce was a step in the right direction.
Pereira made two changes for his debut, bringing Jesus and Murillo into the starting line-up.
Murillo’s return proved an inspired move by Pereira as the Brazilian centre-back opened the scoring in the 21st minute.
- Rampant Forest -
Bursting forward with intent, Murillo held off two challenges before lashing a superb low strike past Ederson into the far corner from 25 yards.
Fuming Fenerbahce boss Domenico Tedesco was booked for protesting after his side were denied a penalty when Anderson Talisca’s shot hit Murillo on the arm.
Forest rubbed salt into Tedesco’s wounds in the 43rd minute.
Gibbs-White flicked on Elliot Anderson’s corner at the near post, and Jesus pounced to head in from virtually on the goal-line.
Jesus’ seventh goal in the Europa League this season sucked the spirit from Fenerbahce, and Gibbs-White notched Forest’s third goal in the 50th minute.
Jesus beat the offside trap and unselfishly squared to Gibbs-White, who slotted home despite losing his footing while shooting.
In Thursday’s other early first-leg ties, Santiago Castro’s ninth-minute goal gave Italian side Bologna a 1-0 win at Norway’s Brann.
Zakaria El Ouahdi inspired Genk’s 3-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb.
Bryan Heynen put the Belgian club ahead in the 15th minute, and Morocco wing-back El Ouahdi doubled the visitors’ lead six minutes later.
Dion Beljo got one back in the 44th minute, but El Ouahdi bagged his second goal in second-half stoppage time.
Iago Aspas and Williot Swedberg scored in the first half to fire Celta Vigo to a 2-1 victory at PAOK, who reduced the deficit through Alexander Jeremejeff after the interval.
Later on Thursday, Celtic boss Martin O’Neill will take charge of the 1,000th match of his managerial career when Stuttgart visit Glasgow.
Lille host Red Star Belgrade, Ludogorets Razgrad face Ferencvaros, and Panathinaikos meet Viktoria Plzen.
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Mixed fortunes for Palace and Forest in Europe
Early Europa League Play-Off Round first-leg results:
Early Uefa Conference League Play-Off Round first-leg results:
CRYSTAL PALACE COULD not break free of their recent struggles as they wobbled away to Zrinski Mostar and drew their Europa Conference League game 1-1 on Thursday.
The Londoners dominated the first half and took the lead a minute before the break when Jorgen Strand Larsen set up Ismaila Sarr, who curled the ball into the far corner.
But Palace, playing their first European knock-out game, had won only once since early December and their control of the game evaporated at the start of the second half.
After 55 minutes, Adam Wharton gave the ball away in midfield and the hosts pounced. Leo Mikic found Karlo Abramovic galloping through the inside-right channel, and the attacker drilled a low shot home.
As Palace faltered, Abramovic almost wriggled through for a second.
Wharton smashed a shot against the Zrinski bar, but Palace had an 84th-minute scare when the video officials told referee Manfredas Lukjancukas to look at the pitchside video to check for a potential penalty for handball by Palace defender Daniel Munoz.
Lukjancukas disagreed and concluded that Munoz had been fouled into touching the ball.
In Yerevan, Hovhannes Hambardzumyan scored the only goal as hosts Noah beat former Uefa Cup finalists AZ Alkmaar 1-0, in a game that saw Ireland international Troy Parrott complete 90 minutes.
Elsewhere, in Tampere, Finland, hosts KuPS were reduced to 10 men after 12 minutes when Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba fouled Antoni Kozubal, who had just put Lech Poznan a goal up. Taofeek Ismaheel added a second for the visitors before half-time.
Meanwhile, Vitor Pereira made a dream start as Nottingham Forest manager with a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs on Thursday.
Pereira became Forest’s fourth boss this season after agreeing an 18-month deal to replace the sacked Sean Dyche on Sunday.
He made an immediate impact as the Premier League strugglers powered to an impressive victory in Istanbul, thanks to goals from Murillo, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Forest’s dominant display puts them in pole position to finish the job in the second leg at the City Ground on 26 February.
If they reach the last 16, Pereira’s side would play Real Betis or Midtjylland.
Perched perilously just three points above the Premier League relegation zone, Forest’s main aim is to avoid dropping into the Championship.
But extending their first European campaign since 1995-96 would be a notable feat for a club starved of continental success since the Brian Clough era.
Pereira had been out of work since being sacked by Wolves in November after a dismal start to this season.
Managing Forest is hardly a guarantee of job security, however.
Dyche, axed last week, was in charge for just 114 days.
His departure followed the end of Ange Postecoglou’s 39-day reign in October, which came after Nuno Espirito Santo, sacked in September, lasted just 21 months at the helm.
Pereira has worked with volatile Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis during his spell with Olympiacos.
But to survive at Forest, he needs to hit the ground running, and victory over his former club Fenerbahce was a step in the right direction.
Pereira made two changes for his debut, bringing Jesus and Murillo into the starting line-up.
Murillo’s return proved an inspired move by Pereira as the Brazilian centre-back opened the scoring in the 21st minute.
- Rampant Forest -
Bursting forward with intent, Murillo held off two challenges before lashing a superb low strike past Ederson into the far corner from 25 yards.
Fuming Fenerbahce boss Domenico Tedesco was booked for protesting after his side were denied a penalty when Anderson Talisca’s shot hit Murillo on the arm.
Forest rubbed salt into Tedesco’s wounds in the 43rd minute.
Gibbs-White flicked on Elliot Anderson’s corner at the near post, and Jesus pounced to head in from virtually on the goal-line.
Jesus’ seventh goal in the Europa League this season sucked the spirit from Fenerbahce, and Gibbs-White notched Forest’s third goal in the 50th minute.
Jesus beat the offside trap and unselfishly squared to Gibbs-White, who slotted home despite losing his footing while shooting.
In Thursday’s other early first-leg ties, Santiago Castro’s ninth-minute goal gave Italian side Bologna a 1-0 win at Norway’s Brann.
Zakaria El Ouahdi inspired Genk’s 3-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb.
Bryan Heynen put the Belgian club ahead in the 15th minute, and Morocco wing-back El Ouahdi doubled the visitors’ lead six minutes later.
Dion Beljo got one back in the 44th minute, but El Ouahdi bagged his second goal in second-half stoppage time.
Iago Aspas and Williot Swedberg scored in the first half to fire Celta Vigo to a 2-1 victory at PAOK, who reduced the deficit through Alexander Jeremejeff after the interval.
Later on Thursday, Celtic boss Martin O’Neill will take charge of the 1,000th match of his managerial career when Stuttgart visit Glasgow.
Lille host Red Star Belgrade, Ludogorets Razgrad face Ferencvaros, and Panathinaikos meet Viktoria Plzen.
– © AFP 2026
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