Crystal Palace vs. Lech Poznań preview: Eagles aim to soar in Europe again | OneFootball

UEFA Europa League: Crystal Palace vs Lech PoznańThursday Sep 17th, 2026Kickoff: 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PTSelhurst Park, London, England

It is only four months since Crystal Palace lifted the European Conference League title in their first ever European competition foray. Yet it feels lifetime away as they make their European return – this time a step above in the Europa League.

Former manager Oliver Glasner, who led them to the title as well as the FA Cup and Community Shield the season before, has departed for Nottingham Forest, while Palace have lost key players in Maxence Lacroix (Chelsea) and Daniel Muñoz, who followed Glasner to the City Ground.

Lech Poznań enter the competition through another route, having comfortably beaten FC Thun in a play-off to reach the main stage. It should be, on paper, a one-way game but as we all know, football doesn’t conform to cliché.

Palace in transition

Crystal Palace have that feel about them of a team and indeed a club very much in transition. Whilst the rebuilding of their main stand at Selhurst Park has finally got underway after years of delay, on the pitch they have got off to a stuttering start under new coach Pierre Sage.

The Frenchman has retained his predecessor’s high-press 3-4-2-1 formation yet players will need time to adapt to his methods and a different voice in the dressing room.

A 3-2 away win at Fulham seemed to have turned a corner, only to be met with a rather dispiriting 2-3 home defeat by newly promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday. Palace will see this European opener as a vital opportunity to re-establish momentum and turn Selhurst Park back into a fortress.

Lech’s qualifying perfection

Qualification for Lech Poznań has gone well following a busy summer transfer window during which they signed the Celtic winger Luis Palma for $4.5m and Terry Yegbe from Metz for $3.5m.

Initially in the Champions League qualification, they dropped into into the Europa League after losing to AFG of Denmark, but coach Niels Frederiksen’s side come to London having breezed through Europa qualifying, battering Faroese outfit KÍ Klaksvík 6-0 on aggregate before crushing Swiss side FC Thun 9-2 over two legs in the final play-off round.

They like to attack on transition, as seems de rigeur in European football. Operating out of an organized 4-2-3-1 system, Kolejorz (the Railwaymen) rely on explosive wingers, physical midfield transitions, and sustained aerial pressure. A bit like Palace really. Despite a 2-1 setback to Górnik Zabrze over the weekend in the Ekstraklasa, Poznań won’t travel to London to sit back. The test might be who of the two teams can defend better.

Sage’s early days

Sage arrived in South London in June 2026 following a historic campaign at Lens, where he won the Coupe de France and guided the club to a historic second-place Ligue 1 finish. The 47-year-old tactical student—who made his name through high-concept youth development and sharp positional coaching at Lyon and Lens—was explicitly chosen by Palace owner Steve Parish to carry on the high-energy, three-at-the-back framework established by Glasner.

Known for his calm, communicative leadership style and fluid attacking rotations, Sage faces the immediate challenge of maintaining Palace’s cup-winning mindset while steering them through a grueling domestic and European schedule.

His task is no easier given that he has a depleted squad. Palace’s key creative force, Ismaïla Sarr, has been absent due to a groin issue suffered right before the Everton match. Jean-Philipe Mateta has also been in and out with injury. Defender Chadi Riad tore his ACL for a second time during the Everton match (he’s out for the season), and goalkeeper Dean Henderson is recovering from an ankle injury. Take all that plus the departure of Muñoz and Lacroix and it’s a tough ask early on for Sage.

Early signs are ok. Three defeats in the league and one victory, plus a decent victory against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup, tells the story of where Palace are. They look good going forward but defensively against Fulham and particularly Ipswich, they were wide open when conceding and tightening up the back line must be a priority.

Frederiksen firing

Appointed in the summer of 2024, 55-year-old Danish strategist Niels Frederiksen has built Lech Poznań into a disciplined, fluid attacking force. Armed with extensive experience from his tenures with Brøndby IF and the Denmark U21 national team, Frederiksen favors a structured 4-2-3-1 setup that prioritizes quick vertical progression and pressing triggers.

His emphasis on dynamic wing play and direct transition football has revitalized Lech’s European form, making them one of the most potent attacking sides in the preliminary rounds. Having won the Ekstraklasa, the Polish first division, last year, they are currently third in the league with 5 wins from 7 games.

Key Players to Watch

Prediction

While Palace are experiencing growing pains under Sage, home advantage here is huge. The electric atmosphere of a European night under the lights at Selhurst Park usually brings out the best in the South London side. They are missing key players including England goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Mateta. Intriguingly, Sage hinted in his pre-match press conference that Sarr might play a part, and Eddie Nketiah might return to the squad as well.

Lech Poznań possess enough quality in transition through Mikael Ishak and Patrik Wålemark to catch Palace on the break, but they are also without several players, including Antoni Kozubal.

Don’t be surprised if Stand Larsen occupies the centre halves and Palace’s goal threat comes from the wing backs or attacking midfielders. Lech will hope that the Eagles’ defensive frailties will continue and give them space to exploit.

Palace’s superior individual quality player for player, especially in midfield, should see them control possession and they should have too much for Lech through attacking from various angles. Expect a Palace win.