Report & Highlights: Clinical Eagles secure comfortable pre-season win at Crawley

Summary:

• Internationals make first appearance of 25/26 with Eze, Henderson, Lerma, Kamada and Sarr all starting.
• 2 – GOAL: Mateta pounces on Sarr’s deflected pass to power Palace into the lead.
• 10: Eze cuts inside but sees his effort ricochet away.
• 28: The England international produces a moment of magic, but is denied by a fine save; Hughes’ first-time volley from the corner flies wide.
• 31 – GOAL: Eze doubles Palace’s advantage with a calm finish from Mateta’s lay-off.
• 40: Mateta runs through from clipped through ball, but is off-target.
• HT: Crawley 0-2 Palace
• Five changes for Palace at half-time.
• 49: Mitchell’s industry almost sees him force a Crawley own-goal.
• 70 – GOAL: New No. 2 Muñoz sweeps home first-time from Mitchell’s cut-back.
• 87: Mitchell makes an important challenge to deny Trialist late on.
• FT: Crawley 0-3 Palace

The match saw those Palace players involved in June’s internationals make their first appearances of pre-season, with Ebere Eze, Dean Henderson, Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada and Ismaïla Sarr all starting for the first time in 2025/26, and Daniel Muñoz and Justin Devenny coming on in the second-half.

Consecutive trips to Crawley in the last two pre-seasons have yielded goal gluts for the Eagles – as well as early strikes on the board at Broadfield – and this season proved no different.

This season, it was Jean-Philippe Mateta on hand inside the opening two minutes. After Sarr’s prodded pass was mis-controlled by Crawley defender Dion Conroy into his path, Mateta powered home a precise finish with his left foot.

A clean finish – followed by the customary corner flag booting.

The early opportunities just kept on coming, Eze picking up where he left off – following his FA Cup Final-winning goal – with an electric first-half display. One early low effort, after jinking inside, seemed goalbound; Conroy, this time, deflected it away from goal.

Palace were in command, with a back three of Nathaniel Clyne, Maxence Lacroix and Jefferson Lerma solid when called upon and a midfield and attacking engine cutting through Crawley’s high line at increasingly regular occasions as the half wore on.

It was a moment of sheer genius which came close to doubling their lead near the half-hour mark, however, as Will Hughes’ quick free-kick found Eze in the centre circle and the forward wheeled away from two players, nutmegged a third and attempted to chip the ‘keeper from the edge of the box; only an outstretched palm prevented the effort from being worth the ticket price alone.

Eze was not to be denied, however, and another brilliant counter-attack – kick-started by Kamada in the Palace half, and facilitated by Mateta’s powerful run and inch-perfect square ball – allowed the Palace No. 10 to slot home with precision.

There were further incisive passes into the Crawley box – Naouirou Ahamada and Sarr were both denied from tight angles, and Mateta shot over when well picked out just before the whistle – as Palace remained in complete control for the remainder of the half.

The interval saw five changes made by Oliver Glasner as Muñoz – his first game wearing the Eagles’ No. 2 shirt – came on along with Walter Benítez, Tyrick Mitchell, Adam Wharton and Devenny.

It was Mitchell involved immediately after the restart, the left wing-back chasing down a pass which seemed destined to trickle out for a goal-kick; from a cul-de-sac, he turned and fired in a fizzing cross which deflected behind, somehow evading the Crawley net.

The chances were rarer in a more evenly contested second-half, with Odsonne Edouard – off the bench midway through the half – not far from finding the top corner with a whipped free-kick on the edge of the box.

Palace’s third did duly arrive on the 70-minute mark, however – and it was explosive wing-back to explosive wing-back. Mitchell’s fizzing low ball across the box was turned home emphatically by Muñoz – on his left foot – as the Eagles’ dominance was finally reflected by the scoreline.

Crawley did finish the game strongly with a succession of half-chances and shots from the edge of the box – with Mitchell making one particularly important challenge late on to deny a Trialist a clean strike at goal.

But in the end, Palace could be content with two wins – and two clean sheets – out of two pre-season games, with a trip to Austria coming up next week, prior to our third trip to Wembley Stadium this year.

Palace: Henderson (GK) (Benítez, HT), Ahamada (Muñoz, HT), Clyne (Jemide, 76), Lacroix, Lerma (King, 76), Sosa (Mitchell, HT), Kamada (Wharton, HT), Hughes (Devenny, HT), Eze (Esse, 64), Mateta (Edouard, 64), Sarr (Rak-Sakyi, 64 (Rodney, 89)).

Subs: Hill (GK), Rodney, Ozoh, Cardines.

As It Happened