Crystal Palace Begin European Journey With Victory Over Dynamo Kyiv

Crystal Palace marked their first full venture into European football with a commanding 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday. The match, played in Lublin, Poland, where Dynamo is hosting European fixtures due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, saw the Premier League side extend their unbeaten streak to a club-record 19 matches.

The Eagles made a strong start, with Colombian wing-back Daniel Muñoz rising above the defense to head home the opener in the first half. His towering finish gave Palace the edge and settled early nerves in their debut on the continental stage. Dynamo, despite enjoying spells of possession, struggled to create clear chances against a disciplined Palace backline.

Palace doubled their advantage just before the hour mark when striker Eddie Nketiah pounced inside the box to stab in a cross from Yeremy Pino, who was outstanding throughout the match. The second goal put the visitors in control and highlighted their clinical edge in attack.

The only setback for Oliver Glasner’s side came in the closing stages, when Borna Sosa received two yellow cards in quick succession, reducing Palace to ten men for the final 15 minutes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Eagles held firm to secure a memorable result.

Speaking after the win, manager Oliver Glasner praised his team’s performance but emphasized the need to stay focused on future challenges. “I’m proud that we could start the Conference League away against a very good opponent. I don’t think about this (unbeaten) run, because it has already happened, so for me it is important what comes next,” Glasner said. He added, “We don’t prefer any competition. We always want to win the next game, and I just told the players now after the game, ‘congratulations for this good start.’”

Palace’s qualification for European competition came after their shock FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last season. However, they were moved from the Europa League to the Conference League following a breach of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. Until now, the club’s only taste of European football had been a brief Intertoto Cup campaign in 1998.

Now seen as one of the favourites for the Conference League title, the Eagles will host AEK Larnaca of Cyprus on October 23 in their next group-stage clash. Their group also features AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands, French side Strasbourg, Irish club Shelbourne, and Finland’s KuPS—setting the stage for what promises to be a historic European campaign for the South London outfit.