Crystal Palace eased past Crawley Town with a 3-0 win in their second pre-season outing, as goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ebere Eze, and debutant Daniel Muñoz capped a confident display. Several internationals made their first appearances of the 2025/26 campaign, adding quality and sharpness to the Eagles’ performance.
Fresh off summer duty, Eze, Dean Henderson, Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, and Ismaïla Sarr all slotted into the starting lineup, helping Palace dictate the pace from the outset. The match saw flashes of the flair and control manager Oliver Glasner will hope to carry into the competitive season.
Goal ✅
Corner flag ✅#CPFC— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 25, 2025
A Confident Return for Palace’s International Stars
Mateta opened the scoring inside two minutes, taking advantage of a defensive miscue and finishing precisely from a deflected Sarr pass. Eze was electric in the opening period, twice coming close before eventually doubling the lead after linking with Mateta on a swift counter-attack. Palace dominated possession, with a composed back line and quick movement through midfield keeping Crawley on the back foot.
Second-Half Rotation, Same Control
Glasner rotated heavily at halftime, bringing on five fresh faces including Muñoz, wearing No. 2 for the first time. Mitchell was lively from the restart, nearly forcing an own goal before providing the assist for Muñoz’s debut strike in the 70th minute. Despite fewer chances, Palace remained composed, and substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly added a fourth with a curling free-kick.
Defensive Solidity and Building Momentum
Crawley showed brief signs of life late on, forcing Palace into some key blocks none more important than Mitchell’s last-ditch challenge in the 87th minute. With back-to-back wins and clean sheets, the Eagles are flying through pre-season with growing cohesion and confidence. Next up: a training camp and friendly fixture in Austria.
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