Palace score four as Richards and Pino lead Lech Poznan rout

Crystal Palace beat Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park on Thursday, with three goals before half-time and a fourth in the 89th minute. The result ended Lech’s recent four-match unbeaten sequence, which had consisted of three wins and a draw.

How it happened

Yeremy Pino opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Chris Richards doubled Palace’s lead in the 27th, assisted by Adam Wharton. Jörgen Strand Larsen converted a penalty in the 34th minute to make it 3-0 at the interval. Eddie Nketiah completed the scoring in the 89th minute after a pass from Dwight McNeil. Lech Poznan also finished with one red card.

The numbers

Palace had 52% possession and completed 470 accurate passes from 536 total, compared with Lech’s 409 accurate passes from 489. The visitors attempted more shots overall, 17 to 15, but both teams registered six shots on goal. Palace’s W. Benítez made six saves, while Lech’s goalkeeper made two.

Who decided it

Chris Richards provided the most influential all-round contribution among Palace’s outfield players. He scored once, produced one key pass and made four tackles in 74 minutes, earning an 8.5 match rating. Pino also made a decisive start with one goal and three key passes, while Wharton supplied the assist for Richards and added three tackles.

Why it matters

The league-stage table lists Crystal Palace 17th and Lech Poznan 20th, with both teams on 0 points from 0 games and a goal difference of 0. Sparta Praha leads on 3 points, leaving both clubs three points behind the early leader.