Crystal Palace’s Four-Goal Start Leaves Lech Poznan Chasing

Palace take control before half-time

Crystal Palace defeated Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park in the opening UEFA Europa League League Stage round. Palace led 3-0 at half-time, with three goals arriving in a 24-minute spell that effectively settled the contest before the break.

Yeremy Pino opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a normal goal. Chris Richards doubled the advantage in the 27th minute, finishing after an assist from Adam Wharton. Jörgen Strand Larsen then converted a penalty in the 34th minute, giving Palace a commanding interval lead.

Late finish completes the result

Lech made changes in the 61st and 70th minutes, bringing on Filip Jagiełło, Y. Agnero, Robert Gumny and Leo Bengtsson. Palace responded with Oscar Mingueza and Dwight McNeil in the 62nd minute. McNeil later supplied the assist for the fourth goal, with Eddie Nketiah scoring in the 89th minute.

The final goal ended any remaining uncertainty, although the statistics show Lech continued to create attempts. Palace had 15 total shots to Lech’s 17, and both teams registered six shots on goal. Palace’s greater efficiency in the decisive moments separated the teams, while Lech’s goalkeeper made two saves compared with six for W. Benítez.

Lech’s pressure did not produce a goal

The possession figures were relatively close, with Palace holding 52% and Lech 48%. Palace completed 470 accurate passes from 536 attempts, while Lech completed 409 from 489. Lech also had eight shots from outside the box, compared with five for Palace, but could not turn its overall shooting volume into a score.

Palace had a narrower advantage for shots inside the box, 10-9, and won the corner count 6-5. Those numbers point to a match in which Lech had opportunities, but Palace were more clinical near goal and protected their lead effectively.

Murawski sent off late

Lech’s disciplinary problems worsened near the finish. Radosław Murawski was shown a yellow card in the 76th minute and a red card in the 87th. Palace finished with no red cards, while Lech recorded one in the match statistics.

Benítez leads Palace ratings

W. Benítez was the standout performer, receiving a match rating of 8.9 after making six saves in 89 minutes. Richards also impressed with an 8.5 rating, a goal, a shot on target, a key pass and four tackles. Pino’s goal and three key passes earned him an 8.2 rating.

The supplied league table listed Palace 17th and Lech 20th, both on zero points from zero games before this round. The result gives Palace the win and leaves Lech with the defeat; updated post-match rankings were not provided. Palace’s listed recent form was unavailable, while Lech arrived with three wins and a draw from its previous four matches.