Crystal Palace’s Europa League draw: Sage’s Lyon reunion and tricky Polish tests | OneFootball

Crystal Palace have drawn Lyon, Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, RB Salzburg, Lech Poznan, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim and Besiktas in the Europa League league phase, creating Pierre Sage’s reunion with his former club and awkward Polish tests.

According to NY Times, the French tie carries extra intrigue after last season’s UEFA multi-club ownership rules kept Palace out of this competition. They will be away for that match.

This is Palace’s first Europa League campaign after a 1-0 Conference League final win over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig in May. Sage managed in Europe with his former club in 2024-25, taking them through the groups before his January 2025 sacking.

Match dates are due on Saturday 29 August, or by the following day.

The step up brings stronger opponents, so expectations may be tempered even if ambition is not. Trips to Poland might prove trickier than they appear. Real Sociedad’s visit to Selhurst Park could also test them, despite a 10th-place La Liga finish last season.

Squad depth has improved, but the calendar could again squeeze time to bed in ideas. Six arrivals already, with more possible, plus a tweaked system under a new head coach, make integration difficult.

Progress into the knockouts feels realistic, yet lifting this trophy looks an extremely tall order. Quarter-finals or even semi-finals would count as success. Round of 16 is the cautious prediction, with anything beyond the last eight hard to see.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”