Crystal Palace Wins Conference League Play-Off First Leg Without Eze

Crystal Palace began their UEFA Conference League campaign with a 1-0 home victory over Norwegian side Fredrikstad, marking their first major European fixture. Eberechi Eze, who is set to transfer to Arsenal, was absent from the squad as he felt "not ready to play" and did not attend the match to say farewell. Jean Phillippe-Mateta scored the decisive goal early in the second half, heading in a shot from Will Hughes, while Palace had several near misses including a shot from Daniel Munoz that hit the woodwork. The match was a historic moment for Palace despite fan dissatisfaction with the Conference League, demonstrated by boos during the anthem and anti-UEFA chants. Palace made several lineup changes from their recent Premier League match, with Jefferson Lerma, Justin Devenny, and Borna Sosa starting. The second leg against Fredrikstad will take place on August 28 in Norway to decide who progresses to the league phase.