Fredrikstad vs Crystal Palace LIVE
Crystal Palace confirmed their place in the Conference League group phase with a goalless draw away at Fredrikstad. The Eagles took a slender one-goal advantage with them to Norway for the second leg of their play-off. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal at Selhurst Park in the first leg.
Here, Palace were solid in defence but uninspiring in attack, as the hole left by Eberechi Eze in their front three looked humungous. Daichi Kamada returned from injury to take Eze’s place on the left of the attacking midfield duo, but the Japanese’s introduction back into the side could not fire Palace to a goal in Scandinavia.
Oliver Glasner cut a frustrated figure at times as the Norwegian side kept out the Premier League outfit with relative ease, and they looked to throw the kitchen sink at Palace in the dying embers with long balls and long throws galore. However, the south Londoners held firm to reach the league phase of the Conference League, where they will find out who they will play in the tournament proper on Friday at noon in the draw from Monaco.
Fredrikstad vs Crystal Palace latest news
- CLOSE! Richards goes close with header
- Henderson almost gifts hosts goal
- How to watch for free: Channel 5
- Crystal Palace team news
- Crystal Palace lineup
Report: Palace safely through to league phase after bore draw
19:14 , Oli GentThe Eagles are through to the Conference League proper.
Here’s how they did it...
FT: Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:54 , Oli GentIt ends goalless, but Palace won’t care. They’re into the Conference League league phase. And that’s all that matters.
Thanks for joining us on Standard Sport, be sure to come back very soon for even more LIVE action.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:51 , Oli Gent90+5 mins: Close! Devenny, just on as a substitute, could have sealed it. Palace are almost there.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:51 , Oli Gent90+3 mins: Kamada is replaced by Justin Devenny.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:50 , Oli Gent90+2 mins: Chance! Skovgold goes close as it’s knocked down by Munoz, and the substitute slices across the ball with his volley! Could that have been the moment?
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:48 , Oli Gent90 mins: Six added minutes.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:46 , Oli Gent89 mins: Wharton is over the set piece, along with Kamada. It’s an inviting angle, to which Wharton delivers, but it’s over the heads of everyone in the box.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:45 , Oli Gent88 mins: Yellow card! Woldezi chops Sarr down as Mateta and Kamada link up to send the Senegalese down. The visiting fans clamour for a sending off, but the Fredrikstad defender survives with a caution. Free kick, Palace, in a promising position.
Sam Tabuteau reports
18:43 , Oli Gent87 mins: Fredrikstad are throwing the kitchen sink at this, they simply have no other choice. They got one big chance right at the end in the first leg and they will expect to get one here, in front of their own fans.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:42 , Oli Gent85 mins: There’s just not been that much quality from either side in the final third. We’re getting dangerously close to a stalemate here, and it would be a very fair result.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:39 , Oli Gent83 mins: Ohlenschlaeger has worked really hard, but is flagging and is replaced by Rocco Shein.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:38 , Oli Gent82 mins: Fredriksen has been superb marshalling Mateta today. The French striker has hardly had a sniff. That said, his goal is still the difference between the two sides across the two legs.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:35 , Oli Gent79 mins: Sosa is replaced by Mitchell at left wing-back.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:35 , Oli Gent78 mins: Chance! Fredrikstad work a throw short this time, and Ohlenschlaeger peels around the back to meet it, but his header is over the top! Big chance for the hosts.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:34 , Oli Gent77 mins: Munoz is down holding his wrist, to the fury of the Fredrikstad faithful. It’s an accidental stamp by Skovgold, so nothing intentional.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:33 , Oli Gent75 mins: A Palace goal this evening would help them breathe a lot easier. They’ve just not been all that cohesive in the final third. Almost as if they’re missing a key piece of the jigsaw...
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:29 , Oli Gent73 mins: Close! A half-chance for Richards, who peels away around the back, but he can only direct the header wide of the post from Sosa’s set piece.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:29 , Oli Gent72 mins: Joannes Bjartalid is on for Leonard Owusu. Meanwhile, Ohlenschlaeger is booked for a foul on Sosa.
Sam Tabuteau reports
18:27 , Oli Gent70 mins: Palace are slowing this game down and Fredrikstad are running out of ideas. The home fans are beginning to get frustrated.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:24 , Oli Gent68 mins: Owusu is booked as he hauls Sarr down as the pair tussle for a loose ball.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:23 , Oli Gent66 mins: Kamada is over a Palace corner, but Woledzi is there to nod clear. He’s had a good game, has the Fredrikstad centre-back.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:22 , Oli Gent65 mins: Another Eid long throw is repelled by the Palace defence. They’ve done very well to keep those at bay this evening.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:19 , Oli Gent62 mins: Two attacking changes for the hosts as Holten and Sorlokk are replaced by Johannes Nunez and Henrik Skovgold.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:18 , Oli Gent60 mins: It’s that time of the game, is it? Lacroix has time and space from distance, and he gets the ball out of his feet to strike. He has a pop, but it’s a long way off target.
Sam Tabuteau reports
18:14 , Oli Gent56 mins: Fredrikstad have continued where they left off, but still just the one shot on target from the Norwegians. A mistake from Palace looks their likeliest route to goal right now.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:11 , Oli Gent53 mins: It’s Munoz down this time after a hefty collision with Holten, whose elbow makes contact with the right wing-back’s head. Nothing intentional, however, and there’s no free kick or further punishment for the striker.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:09 , Oli Gent50 mins: Lerma takes a blow to the face and is being treated and patched up by the Palace medical staff. He’s ok to continue, however, if a little shaken.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:05 , Oli Gent48 mins: Sosa is shown a yellow card for a foul off the ball on Ohlenschlaeger tight to the right touchline.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
18:03 , Oli Gent47 mins: Here’s a stat for you. Fredrikstad still haven’t had a shot on target across either of these two games so far.
Kick off!
18:02 , Oli Gent46 mins: We’re back.
HT: Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:47 , Oli GentGoalless at half-time after a fairly drab first 45 minutes.
What will the second half have in store?
Sam Tabuteau reports
17:46 , Oli Gent45+1 mins: Glasner will want a goal; he's been agitating on the touchline all half. That said, he won't be particularly worried by what Fredrikstad have offered going forward.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:46 , Oli Gent45 mins: Close! Another nice inswinger from Palace as a cross from the left is hooked in towards Munoz, who comes steaming in around the back. However, the Colombian can’t keep it in play and the chance goes begging.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:44 , Oli Gent44 mins: A nice run from Kamada into the box is sought out by Lerma, but, after some initial confusion, the Fredrikstad back three hack it clear. Palace can come again, however...
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:42 , Oli Gent41 mins: A reminder that the league phase draw is tomorrow. Let’s see whether Palace will be in it. At present, they are.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:40 , Oli Gent39 mins: The hosts have really made life difficult for Palace in this first half. They’ve dug in defensively to snuff them out, and they’ve had some threat going forwards as well. Can they find a goal, though?
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:36 , Oli Gent36 mins: Glasner has sat down now, and that is the first time he has done so this half. That said, he’s back up again, looking to spur his side on and get that elusive goal.
Sam Tabuteau reports
17:35 , Oli Gent35 mins: I was about to say Palace will be more than happy with what they've seen from Fredrikstad, who have had plenty of the ball but struggled to do anything with it. However, Henderson almost gifts the hosts a goal. On the eve of the England squad being announced he would like to stay out of the headlines, I'm sure.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:34 , Oli Gent33 mins: (Almost a) Clanger! A massive misjudgement from Henderson, who flaps at an Eid long throw and Molde throws himself at it, but can’t get the decisive touch!
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:33 , Oli Gent32 mins: There is an attempt on target as an inswinging ball from Guehi is into Mateta’s path. The Frenchman tries to divert it goalwards with a header, but Borsheim claims.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:31 , Oli Gent31 mins: We’ve played half an hour here and neither side has really had a huge chance to open the scoring. Richards came closest with that glancing header, but since then, nothing of note.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:29 , Oli Gent28 mins: Wharton starts to think a bit more positively as he clips a ball over the top looking for Mateta, but he overcooks it slightly and the Frenchman, despite stretching as far as he possibly can, cannot get the ball under his spell.
Sam Tabuteau reports
17:28 , Oli Gent27 mins: The artificial pitch nearly gets Dean Henderson into all types of trouble as the ball holds up as he waits for it to enter the area. A flashpoint in a game that's lacked any real quality.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:26 , Oli Gent25 mins: Ohlenschlaeger does well to force the corner for the hosts off Sosa, and Fredrikstad can toss another into the box here. Metcalfe’s delivery isn’t great, and the chance is missed.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:24 , Oli Gent24 mins: Mateta earns the first booking of the evening as he catches Owusu with a high boot in a bouncing 50-50. He doesn’t win the ball, and the referee has no other choice.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:23 , Oli Gent23 mins: Some nice interplay from Palace as Richards steps forward and supports the attacking move. He looks to cross from the right half-space, with his delivery reaching Sosa on the far side, but the left wing-back shanks his half-volleyed effort high and wide off his right boot.
Sam Tabuteau reports
17:21 , Oli Gent22 mins: It must be remembered Palace only need a clean sheet to progress tonight after winning the first-leg 1-0. If they can control the game and limit Fredrikstad to half chances, as they have done so far, they will be sure of their place in the group phase.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:19 , Oli Gent19 mins: Another long throw for Fredrikstad as Eid towels down the ball. Here he comes... Henderson thinks about coming, doesn’t, and Mateta and Sosa between them clear their lines.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:18 , Oli Gent17 mins: Lerma gets a shot off on the edge of the area after some neat one-touch football from Palace, but that’s easy for Borsheim to hold.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:16 , Oli Gent14 mins: Woledzi goes for a speculative strike from range that Guehi blocks, and it goes behind for a home corner. The centre-back looks to gee up the home support, but the set play is wasted.
Sam Tabuteau reports
17:12 , Oli Gent13 mins: Fredrikstad, unsurprisingly, are showing more attacking intent as they chase a goal. We've already seen a glimpse of their long throw capabilities. It's Palace, though, who should have the lead from that Richards header.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:11 , Oli Gent11 mins: Close! A great delivery from Sosa, and Richards meets it! He just glances it wide of the far post.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:10 , Oli Gent10 mins: Nicely clipped out to the right by Wharton towards Munoz, who acrobatically looks for a first-time, volleyed cross into the box. Owusu reads it well to get it behind, and Sosa comes over to take an inswinging corner.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:10 , Oli Gent8 mins: Palace are having the lionshare of possession so far, but they’ve not done anything meaningful with it in the early exchanges. It’s slow and measured, but they’re struggling to break their compact hosts down.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:07 , Oli Gent6 mins: A first long throw of the game as Eid comes across from right wing-back to take it. The hosts flock the box, but Wharton hooks it clear.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:06 , Oli Gent5 mins: Kamada is the one to pick up Eberechi Eze’s position on the left of that attacking midfield duo. Fredrikstad, meanwhile, are looking to go direct early and get crosses into the middle for Holten to attack.
Fredrikstad 0-0 Crystal Palace
17:03 , Oli Gent3 mins: The ball is really zipping along the surface thanks to the rain that we’ve had in Norway. How will the Palace players fair on this plastic pitch?
Kick off!
17:01 , Oli Gent1 min: We are underway.
Great atmosphere
17:00 , Oli GentThe home faithful are in full voice to whip up quite the song as we prepare for kick-off at the Fredrikstad Stadion.
The players are out!
16:58 , Oli GentThe action is about to get underway...
Sam Tabuteau reports
16:52 , Oli GentGlasner has spoken consistently about how stretched his squad is and the need for reinforcements. Palace will hope not to pick up any injuries on this artificial surface. Particularly Kamada, who has returned, ahead of schedule, from a knee injury.
Wharton pre-match thoughts
16:50 , Oli Gent“It should be a good match. A good opportunity to get into the group stage,” Adam Wharton told Channel 5.
“We need to get people into the box. They were very compact at Selhurst, with not many spaces in the pockets.
“We need to utilise the width a bit more, and get the ball into the box.”
When is the Conference League draw?
16:32 , Oli GentThe draw for the league phase proper will take place tomorrow, Friday, August 29.
It will happen in Monaco at 12pm BST, with 36 teams drawn against six opponents, with three games at home and three away to complete their opening round.
Fredrikstad team analysis
16:20 , Oli GentFor the Norwegians, it’s exactly the same side from Andreas Hagen.
They did ever so well to hold Palace out for as long as they did at Selhurst Park, and they will be looking to do the same again at home, while also having a bit more impetus up top.
Will that be the case, with a more positive shape, or will we see the rigid 5-4-1 once more?
Palace team analysis
16:09 , Oli GentLet’s dissect that selection from Glasner, shall we?
It’s his characteristic 3-4-2-1 shape, and, as Sam touches upon, the team pretty much picks itself, especially without talisman Eberechi Eze, who has joined Arsenal.
Justin Devenny filled in for Eze in the attacking midfield duo over the weekend against Nottingham Forest, but he is dropped to the bench for the fit-again Daichi Kamada.
The back five stays the same once more but also highlights Glasner’s need for greater defensive depth, while in the engine room, it’s Jefferson Lerma in for the injured Will Hughes, who Glasner ruled out in his pre-match press conference.
Odsonne Edouard’s absence also means that Palace are without a senior alternative for Jean Philippe-Mateta up top, with Eddie Nketiah still sidelined with injury.
On the left flank, Borna Sosa gets the nod again over Tyrick Mitchell, although the Englishmen started against Forest last Sunday.
Fredrikstad lineup
16:00 , Oli GentConfirmed Fredrikstad XI: Borsheim; Eid, S. Owusu, Fredriksen, Woledzi, Stray Molde; Ohlenschlaeger, L. Owusu, Metcalfe, Sorlokk; Holten.
Subs: Ovretveit, Langbraten, Begby, Bjartalid. Granaas, Kvile, Okpaleke, Nunez, Rafn, Shein, Skogvold, Solberg.
Sam Tabuteau reports
15:48 , Oli GentAn easy lineup to predict this one as Oliver Glasner goes full strength. He only has 14 fit senior outfield players to pick from. Daichi Kamada comes straight into the starting lineup for Palace after missing the start of the season with a knee injury.
Crystal Palace lineup
15:48 , Oli GentConfirmed Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Sosa; Kamada, Sarr; Mateta.
Subs: Benitez, Matthews, Mitchell, Clyne, Esse, Devenny, Cardines, Rooney.
Standard Sport prediction
15:35 , Oli GentThis certainly won’t be an easy task by any means for Palace tonight, and what makes things more challenging is their slender one-goal advantage.
They were frustrated for the majority of the game at Selhurst Park last time out, and they could find themselves in a similar situation here.
That said, they still should have too much quality for Fredrikstad this evening.
Crystal Palace to win, 2-1.
No excuses for Crystal Palace tonight
15:25 , Alex YoungJust fourteen fit senior players and an artificial pitch, but Oliver Glasner is making no excuses as Crystal Palace bid to secure a place in the league phase of the Conference League, writes Sam Tabuteau.
Palace have taken a 1-0 lead to Norway for the second of their play-off against Fredrikstad and are favourites to complete the job on Thursday.
There has already been talk about Palace being among the favourites to win the Conference League but Glasner has urged his side to “stay humble”.
“(The final) is too far away,” he said. “It's just winning the game tomorrow. This is what we are thinking about, this is how we prepared, and it's the only thing we have in our mind,” said Glasner.
Palace have artificial pitch plan
15:16 , Alex YoungTonight’s game, in the southern Norwegian city, will be played on an artificial pitch.
There are currently no artificial surfaces in use in the top four divisions in England following a ban introduced by the EFL in 1995, whilst Premier League clubs typically employ undersoil heating and drainage systems to ensure matches can safely be played in adverse weather conditions.
"It's why we're training (at the stadium)," said Oliver Glasner. "We have to get used to it. We have to try different boots. Many players haven't played on AstroTurf for many years.
"For me as an Austrian I'm used to it, but in England, in Germany, you are not used to it. It's a bit quicker, you have to pass into the space, into the feet.
"You hear it quite often from me: we have to accept it and do the best from it and have the clear goal to win the game tomorrow. There's no tactical side to playing a little bit more passive and waiting, so we are here to win the game.
"We respect Fredrikstad and they showed how compact they can play and how difficult it is to score against them, but at home we had plenty of chances to score more than one goal, and this is what we will try to do."
Glasner want to see 'humble' Palace
15:07 , Alex YoungOliver Glasner urged his players to be "humble" tonight.
"I think it would be arrogant to think when you play a competition for the first time to talk about winning it," he said.
"It's the first time Palace plays outside England a competitive game, so it's important to stay humble and this is what we are doing as a team. We are going step by step.
"Every team gets a chance and Fredrikstad had one chance at the end. We defended their set plays very well and we didn't give them transitions, so I think we did very well. In the final third we created good chances, were patient against their deep block.
"When you have two legs, you can learn from the first game, and this is what we want to show (tonight)."
Early Crystal Palace team news
14:58 , Alex YoungOliver Glasner is expected to name another strong line-up tonight, which should include Marc Guehi despite ongoing speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool.
Chris Richards should partner him at centre-back, though Jefferson Lerma is an option. Summer signing Borna Sosa is also pushing for a start, while youngster Justin Devenny should get another run out in attack.
Daichi Kamada is expected to shake off a knock to start, but Eddie Nketiah (thigh), Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad (both knee) are out.
How to watch Fredrikstad vs Crystal Palace for FREE
14:50 , Alex YoungTV channel: This fixture will be broadcast on Channel 5, which in the UK is free-to-air television. Coverage starts at 4.30pm BST ahead of the 5pm kick-off.
Live stream: Viewers can also watch the action live online via channel5.com.
Welcome
14:42 , Alex YoungGood afternoon and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Conference League play-off second-leg clash between Fredrikstad and Crystal Palace.
The Eagles are in Norway looking to get the job done, after winning the first leg by a slender 1-0 scoreline. They are heavy favourites to do so, but Oliver Glasner has already issued a warning to his squad.
Will they secure their name in tomorrow’s League Phase draw? Kick-off is a 5pm BST, so stick with us.
