Four goals, three before half-time, made Crystal Palace's first Europa League night a very comfortable one. Palace beat Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park, taking charge long before the interval and then finishing the job late on. After going into the game off a 3-2 home defeat by Ipswich, it was exactly the kind of response Oliver Glasner would have wanted.
RTE's match report summed it up neatly: "Crystal Palace made an impressive start to their debut Europa League campaign by sweeping aside Polish champions Lech Poznan 4-0." Sky Sports struck a similar note, calling it Palace's "first-ever Europa League game". Both descriptions point to the same reality here: this was Palace's first match in the competition, and they settled into it quickly.
Palace settled it early
The opening goal set the tone and it came from a bad error. Yéremy Pino scored in the 10th minute after intercepting Terry Yegbe's loose throw-in, giving Palace the lead and putting Lech immediately on the back foot.
Palace were not finished there. Chris Richards then headed in Adam Wharton's corner to make it 2-0, and by that point the home side were getting joy from both open play pressure and set pieces.
The third arrived in the 35th minute when Jørgen Strand Larsen converted from the spot after Pino was brought down by R. Murawski. Three first-half goals from four on the night tells you most of what mattered. Palace were clinical, and Lech kept handing them moments to attack.
There was even another warning for the visitors before the break when another Yegbe error almost led to a goal, only for Strand Larsen to be ruled offside. Palace did not need many invitations and Lech kept offering them.
Lech made it too easy
Lech came into the match as Polish champions, so this should not be framed as evidence that they are some poor side. What they did produce on the night, though, was a run of mistakes that made Palace's job far easier than a European opener usually is.
Murawski's foul on Pino gave away the penalty for 3-0, and Lech later finished with 10 men after the same player was sent off. Any slim chance of a comeback disappeared there.
That left the closing stages feeling like damage limitation for the visitors, and Palace still found a fourth. Edward Nketiah came off the bench and scored late on to round off the night.
Sky Sports reported that Palace "cruised to victory in their first-ever Europa League game with a 4-0 win over Polish champions Lech Poznan at Selhurst Park." It is hard to argue with that description when the score was 3-0 by the 35th minute and the visitors ended with 10 men.
A better version of Palace than the one seen against Ipswich
The wider value in this result is that it did not look like a team carrying domestic frustration into Europe. Palace had lost 3-2 at home to Ipswich before this, and they sit eighth in the Premier League table according to the figures attached to the game. Their recent domestic run had been poor, with one point from the previous five league matches.
This performance looked much cleaner. Palace controlled the night early, punished loose play and never let the occasion become awkward. That matters on a first Europa League appearance, especially for a club whose route back into continental competition also included winning the UEFA Europa Conference League last season after their earlier demotion from the Europa League.
European debuts can become tense if the first goal does not come or if the crowd senses nerves. Palace avoided all of that by scoring in the 10th minute and reaching half-time with a three-goal lead. Selhurst Park got a first Europa League game and a straightforward 4-0 win with it.
FAQ
How did Crystal Palace beat Lech Poznan so comfortably in the Europa League?
Crystal Palace took control early and punished Lech Poznan's mistakes. Yéremy Pino scored in the 10th minute after intercepting a loose throw-in, Chris Richards made it 2-0 from Adam Wharton's corner, and Jørgen Strand Larsen added a 35th-minute penalty after Pino was fouled by Radoslaw Murawski. Eddie Nketiah then came off the bench to score late on.
Was this Crystal Palace's first Europa League match?
Yes. The match reports describe it as Crystal Palace's first-ever Europa League game and the start of their debut Europa League campaign. Palace had been back in continental football after winning the UEFA Europa Conference League in the previous campaign, so both descriptions sit alongside each other, but this was their first match in the Europa League itself.
Did Crystal Palace respond well after losing to Ipswich?
They did. Palace went into the Lech Poznan game after a 3-2 home defeat by Ipswich, but the European performance was much more controlled. They scored three times before half-time, won 4-0 at Selhurst Park and never really let Lech back into the contest.
Why was Lech Poznan reduced to 10 men against Crystal Palace?
Lech Poznan finished with 10 men after Radoslaw Murawski was sent off. Earlier in the game he had already brought down Yéremy Pino for the penalty that Jørgen Strand Larsen converted in the 35th minute to put Palace 3-0 up.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
