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

Crystal Palace travel to France on Thursday night for a Europa Conference League meeting with Strasbourg.

Oliver Glasner’s team head into one of their toughest fixtures of the competition in excellent form and with 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 Wolverhampton Wanderers, 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 Europa Conference League matches and are in the top nine of the standings.

Strasbourg have taken seven points from their opening three games and are 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, although recent inconsistency 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 the 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.