Palace seek statement win in France to break Strasbourg’s unbeaten Conference League run | OneFootball

Crystal Palace travel to France on Thursday night for a Conference League meeting with Strasbourg that arrives at a moment when the English side feel poised to make a statement of intent.

Oliver Glasner’s team head into one of their toughest fixtures of the competition in excellent form and believe their recent performances give them a genuine chance of taking three points.

Palace have put together a five-game unbeaten run since their defeat to Arsenal and have tightened up defensively with four clean sheets across that stretch.

Their latest win came at Molineux where Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino scored in quick succession to secure a comfortable victory that underlined their growing confidence.

That result lifted Palace into the Premier League’s top five and extended what is now their best start to a league season as a top-flight club in more than three decades.

Glasner has spoken openly about his side reaching a decisive phase of the campaign and has embraced the pressure that comes with being viewed as one of the favourites for the trophy.

Palace have collected six points from their first three Conference League matches and responded well to their early setback against AEK Larnaca by beating AZ Alkmaar at home to climb into the top nine of the standings.

Their improvement offers encouragement, but a trip to Stade de la Meinau presents an altogether different challenge against a Strasbourg team who are unbeaten in Europe this season.

Strasbourg have taken seven points from their opening three games and sit one place above Palace after beating Slovan Bratislava and BK Hacken away from home.

Liam Rosenior’s side have also carried their form into Ligue 1 and have remained competitive despite recent inconsistency that has cost them ground in the race for Champions League qualification.

Strasbourg’s home record provides them with added confidence as they have lost only once in eight competitive matches at Stade de la Meinau this season.

Palace know they have a chance of making a statement, but they also recognise that Strasbourg’s organisation at home and their growing belief will make this a demanding test.

Glasner’s players will need to maintain the aggression and efficiency that has carried them through recent weeks if they are to leave France with a result that strengthens their position in the League Phase.

Palace approach the match with optimism and conviction, but they are well aware that Strasbourg will feel equally capable of shaping the narrative in a meeting between two ambitious contenders.