Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Fri 13 March 2026 8:45, UK

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Crystal Palace were held to a goalless draw by AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park in the first leg of their Conference League last 16 tie on Thursday.

The Eagles had plenty of chances but could not find the breakthrough against the determined Cypriot side.

Oliver Glasner’s team have recovered in recent weeks, earning wins against the likes of Wolves, Zrinjski Mostar and Tottenham.

But Thursday’s draw will be seen as a blow, with the Premier League side now needing to go to AEK Arena next week and win.

The most notable moment of the night perhaps came when Jean-Philippe Mateta made his way onto the pitch, returning for the first time since requesting a transfer in January.

Supercomputer backs Crystal Palace

Palace’s biggest chance came at the end of the first half, when Tyrick Mitchell found himself unmarked at the back post.

The left-back latched onto Daichi Kamada’s deflected effort and looked certain to score before Zlatan Alomerovic’s sprawling save kept the scores level.

Former Manchester United scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider last month that Glasner had stoked tensions at Palace after telling the fans to “stay humble”.

Selhurst Park responded with banners and chants, with the anger against the Austrian reaching boiling point.

Thursday’s result was the type that could see those frustrations rise again, but the blame did not lie with Glasner.

Palace failed to take their chances when they did come, and made the wrong decision in the final third when attempting to create more.

Opta‘s supercomputer has remained confident that the South London side will progress, however, and has handed them a 64.90 per cent chance of winning the second leg for a spot in the quarter-finals.

How Palace fans reacted to Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta’s return was among the biggest stories of the night at Selhurst Park. Jorgen Strand Larsen has been in fine form since signing from Wolves and had allowed many fans to forget the wantaway Frenchman.

They remembered when his name was read aloud in the 77th minute on Thursday, and it was met with a mixed reaction.

Some cheered, some booed, and, to make matters confusing, some responded with chants of “boom” – the noise Palace fans make when Mateta scores.

The striker’s departure in the summer appears imminent, but he may well have one last role to play before then.