Crystal Palace were held to a 0-0 draw by AEK Larnaca in the Conference League, a repeat of their frustrating encounter earlier in the season. Despite the return of Jean-Philippe Mateta from injury, Oliver Glasner's side failed to break down a resilient Cypriot defence.
Mateta, who missed six weeks with a knee injury that scuppered a January move to Milan, received a mixed reception from the Selhurst Park crowd. Some supporters booed the striker as he came off the bench to replace club-record signing Jørgen Strand Larsen, but he could not inspire a victory.
“I’m not frustrated today – we just didn’t take the chances. We will play the third game against them and it’s time to score,” said Palace manager Oliver Glasner. “It’s clear if they concede one in the group stage they won’t concede three or four against us tonight. Maybe we have to wake up to their style a little bit.”
The best chance of the match fell to Evann Guessand in the eighth minute, but his close-range effort was saved by goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic. Tyrick Mitchell also saw a second-half shot deflected wide as Palace struggled to find a way through Larnaca's low block.
The visitors, who finished eighth in the league stage, two places above Palace, have now kept six clean sheets in seven Conference League matches. Glasner will need to find a solution before next week's second leg in Cyprus.
