Glasner believes in a fresh start after Zrinjski’s defeat against Palace.

After a convincing 2-0 victory over Zrinjski in the playoff stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed his confidence in a bright future for the team. With this triumph, Palace advanced to the round of 16 with an aggregate score of 3-1. Goals from Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand were crucial in securing the progression, and Glasner did not hesitate to praise his team’s performance.

“It was a good win – an important win. It was a clinical victory,” Glasner began, revealing his satisfaction after the match. The coach highlighted the team’s evolution, having learned important lessons since the first match against Zrinjski: “I think we learned the lessons from the away game, being more balanced and patient. We controlled the game and just waited for the right moments.”

The manager revealed that the team had several opportunities before scoring: “We could have taken the lead a little earlier. Twice we were a bit unlucky, with two deflected balls, I think from Evann Guessand and Daichi Kamada.” The effectiveness from set pieces was another positive aspect, with Glasner mentioning a free kick that resulted in the opening goal.

At halftime, Glasner encouraged his players to maintain a high tempo: “We said at halftime ‘let’s keep the ball speed high and stick to the plan’. Then, there would be moments when they would be more open and we would wait for the situations.” However, it was clear that the team could have decided the match earlier, with the second goal coming only in stoppage time, when Guessand finally sealed the victory.

This triumph represents not only a second consecutive home win but also a second match without conceding goals. Glasner emphasized: “To be honest, in recent weeks, and we talked about this, we had to hit the reset button after the January transfer window.” He referred to the difficult phase the team went through, mentioning a period of just 10 terrible minutes against Burnley, but stressed that everything else has been very positive.

“Playing in Nottingham, getting the draw there; winning in Brighton; now two home wins in a row. Not everything is perfect, to be honest, but you can see that the players are feeling better and better about the way we are playing,” Glasner concluded. The confidence in the team is palpable, and fans can expect a revitalized Crystal Palace in the upcoming competitions.