Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace – Match Preview and Team News | OneFootball

Crystal Palace travel to Dublin on Thursday night for a historic first competitive meeting with Irish opposition.

They face Shelbourne at Tallaght Stadium in the penultimate round of the UEFA Conference League league phase. Oliver Glasner’s Eagles arrive in high spirits. They sit fourth in the Premier League after back-to-back away victories. Their 26-point haul represents their best-ever start to a top-flight season.

They face a Shelbourne side that has defied the odds to reach this stage. However, the Irish club finds itself struggling at this level. The Reds sit 34th in the table with just one point. Furthermore, they hold the unwanted distinction of being the only team yet to score a goal in the competition this season.

Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace – Match Preview and Team News

Team News

Shelbourne

Manager Joey O’Brien welcomes back Liverpool loanee James Norris. He is available after serving a suspension against AZ Alkmaar and is expected to slot back into the defence. Midfield summer signing Jack Henry-Francis will look to retain his place alongside JJ Lunney. In attack, O’Brien must decide between Mipo Odubeko and John Martin to partner Harry Wood.

Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner is expected to rotate his squad amidst a busy December schedule. Right wing-back Daniel Muñoz is being saved for the weekend clash with Manchester City due to a knee issue. Additionally, Ismaïla Sarr remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad are also unavailable. Consequently, fringe players like Jaydee Canvot, Borna Sosa, and Justin Devenny are all in contention to start.

Form

Shelbourne

Shelbourne’s domestic season effectively ended in early November. This means they have not played a competitive domestic match in over a month. Their European campaign has been a steep learning curve. After a draw on matchday one, they have suffered three straight defeats. Moreover, history is against them. League of Ireland clubs have failed to win any of their previous 27 attempts against English opposition.

Crystal Palace

The Eagles are favourites to win the Conference League but have been inconsistent in Europe. They have alternated between wins and losses to sit 18th in the table. They suffered a defeat in their last European away game against Strasbourg. However, they have responded domestically with grit. Palace will look to become the third English side to lift this trophy, but they cannot afford to drop points here.

Predicted Lineups

Shelbourne predicted XI: Speel; Mbeng, Barrett, Ledwidge, Norris, Kelly; Henry-Francis, Lunney, McInroy; Wood, Odubeko

Crystal Palace predicted XI: Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guéhi; Clyne, Lerma, Hughes, Sosa; Devenny, Pino; Nketiah

How to watch Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 2. Coverage starts at 19:30 GMT.

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