Report & Highlights: Palace suffer European defeat after Larnaca smash and grab

Summary:

• Three changes for Palace from the side that drew 3-3 with Bournemouth in our last outing on Saturday, with Will Hughes, Jaydee Canvot and Jefferson Lerma all recalled.
• 18: Larnaca’s Chacón is forced to leave the action early through injury.
• 21: Mateta hits the crossbar with a downward volley.
• 36: Canvot goes close with an ambitious effort.
• 45+1: Mateta curls an effort just wide of the post
• HT: Palace 0-0 AEK Larnaca
• 51 – GOAL: Bajić fires past Henderson to give the visitors the lead.
• 71: Oliver Glasner introduces both Kamada and Wharton to proceedings.
• 76: Muñoz sees a shot blocked with a last ditch challenge.
• 79: Hughes’ cross finds Nketiah, but his diving header flies just wide.
• 90 + 2: Kamada can’t quite connect with Guéhi’s cross.
• FT: Palace 0-1 AEK Larnaca

Palace were looking for back-to-back league phase wins as Selhurst Park hosted a major European tie for the first time.

The visitors for the historic occasion were AEK Larnaca, the Cypriot Cup holders who currently lie fifth in their domestic league after a positive start to the new season.

Manager Oliver Glasner had written in his pre-match programme notes that sides from Cyprus had improved steadily on the continent in recent years – and that he expected a tough challenge. His assessment would prove correct.

Palace’s first real opening came nine minutes in, skipper Marc Guéhi getting on the end of a Will Hughes corner, only for Ismaïla Sarr’s hand to block the ball in the goalmouth.

AEK did respond with the first shot on target of the night, but Yerson Chacon’s effort lacked the ferocity required to seriously trouble Dean Henderson.

Chacon’s night was to have an early end in sad circumstances only minutes later, with the winger falling awkwardly under challenge from Jaydee Canvot and needing to be stretchered off. This also led to a lengthy break in play, disrupting Palace’s early flow.

The next chance came from what is quickly becoming a familiar route – Jefferson Lerma’s long throw eventually reached Sarr at the back post, but the Senegal international couldn’t make clean contact only a few yards out.

Minutes later Daniel Muñoz’s cross was touched away by Zlatan Alomerovic in the visitors’ goal, only for the ball to fall perfectly to the in-form Jean Philippe Mateta. His downward volley beat the Larnaca No. 1, but bounced off the crossbar.

Palace continued to have most of the possession. But creating clear cut chances was proving a tricky assignment. Canvot – making his first European appearance in red and blue – didn’t wait for such an opportunity, unleashing a long-range drive just wide of the post in the 36th minute.

Perhaps the best chance of a tight first-half came in injury time, Pino and Mateta linking-up nicely, the latter curling an effort just wide of Alomerovic’s post. The France forward was also on the end of Hughes’ curling cross, nodding just wide of the post in the final action of the first-half.

Attacking the Holmesdale end, the pressure was quickly applied. Lacroix was going mightily close with a flicked near post header, again narrowly off-target.

But against the run of play, it was Larnaca who struck first. Palace lost the ball at the back, with Marcus Rohdén reacting quickly.

He pushed the ball into Riad Bajić’s path, with the striker making no mistake, firing past Dean Henderson into the roof of the net.

It was a blow, but Palace kept their composure. Eddie Nketiah, scorer in the last European tie against Dynamo Kyiv, was introduced from the bench as Glasner searched for the combination to break AEK down.

Nketiah joined Mateta in attack, as the Eagles reverted to a back four. And the Frenchman again looked certain to score in the 70th minute, only to be blocked by an excellent reaction save by Alomerovic.

Daichi Kamada, on as a substitute, then very nearly scored directly from a corner, only for the Larnaca stopper to get a glove to the ball at the last second.

By this point it felt as if the Holmesdale was going to suck the ball in – Adam Wharton also on and causing the Cypriot side problems with his dynamic passing.

Muñoz forced another last gasp block as the Eagles ramped up the pressure, but time was starting to feel on the side of the visitors. Nketiah was next to go close, beating Enric Saborit to the ball and connecting with a diving header to Hughes’ delivery, but again Larnaca survived.

Five minutes of injury time saw Kamada go the closest, narrowly failing to connect with Guéhi’s dangerous pass - the full-time whistle sounding not long after to confirm a first European defeat of the season.

A historic night all the same, but not the result to match the occasion. The Eagles return to action in the Premier League against Arsenal on Sunday (14:00 GMT), while our next European visitors are AZ Alkmaar in a fortnight's time.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Canvot (Nketiah, 60), Lacroix, Guéhi, Mitchell, Muñoz, Hughes (Uche, 88), Lerma (Kamada, 71), Pino (Wharton, 71), Sarr (Esse, 88), Mateta.

Subs: Benítez (GK), Matthews(GK), Clyne, Richards, Rodney, Cardines, Devenny.

AEK Larnaca: Alomerović (GK), Gnali, Miličević, Roberge, Saborit, Pons (Suarez, 80), Ledes, Miramón, Rohdén, Chacon (Ivanović, 19), Bajić (Angielski, 80).

Subs: Paraskevas (GK), Demetriou (GK), Ioannou, Godswill, Naoum, González, Rubio.

As It Happened