Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace (0-1 agg): Stalemate in Norway sends Eagles through | OneFootball

A closely fought contest in Scandinavia saw Oliver Glasner’s side progress to the UEFA Conference League group stage after a 0-0 draw against Fredrikstad.

Despite an unconvincing performance, Crystal Palace secured their place in the league phase of a UEFA competition for the first time in their history, thanks to a goal from striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the first leg at Selhurst Park. His strike proved decisive, helping the Eagles limp across the finish line in Norway.

As it happened

Fredrikstad proved resilient and tough, as one would expect from a Norwegian side. Their dogged defending frustrated the Premier League visitors and gave them confidence heading into the rest of their season. While Palace’s defence occasionally left gaps, the Norwegians ultimately came up short in attack.

Fredrikstad did manage to create a few chances, but striker Stiane Molde will be ruing a missed opportunity from six yards out after a mistake by keeper Henderson. On another day, they might have punished Palace for their lacklustre display, but the result extended the Eagles’ unbeaten run to 13 games across all competitions.

After a dramatic summer at the club, a victory and progression to the league phase will have been exactly what Birthday Boy Oliver Glasner hoped for. With the hectic transfer deadline day approaching, the speculation surrounding the squad can finally be put to rest.

The off-field noise clearly affected the team, as a nervy first half-hour saw Palace struggle to settle, with midfielder Adam Wharton describing the playing surface as “difficult.”

After a tricky start on the Norwegian cup holders’ pitch, Palace – and particularly Wharton – began to grow into the game and gain confidence. It wasn’t long before the Eagles started to control possession.

Despite this, they struggled to create meaningful chances for striker Mateta, and the match became largely a midfield battle. The Frenchman was unlucky not to seal the tie in added time, as Fredrikstad goalkeeper Martin Borsheim somehow denied him in a one-on-one situation.

This was enough to see the Eagles comfortably through to the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

The Lineups

PALACE: Henderson; Guehi, Lacroix, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Sosa; Sarr, Mateta, Kamada

Fredrikstad: Borsheim; Molde, Woledzi, Fredriksen, Owusu, Eid; Olenschlager, Metcalfe, Leonard Owusu, Sorlokk; Holten