Crystal Palace's UEFA Conference League ambitions suffered a significant setback on Thursday evening, succumbing to a frustrating 2-1 defeat away at French side Strasbourg.
The Eagles took a first-half lead through defender Tyrick Mitchell but were left to rue a catalogue of missed chances before the hosts staged a comeback. Future Chelsea striker Emanuel Emegha levelled the score after the break, and Samir El Mourabet netted a late winner to seal all three points for Strasbourg.
The result leaves Oliver Glasner's side in a disappointing 18th place in the Conference League table, while Strasbourg climbed to second after securing their third victory in four matches.
Palace Pay the Price for Profligate Finishing
Despite a bright start from the home side, it was Palace who grew into the game and opened the scoring. Jean-Philippe Mateta produced an excellent piece of hold-up play before setting up Tyrick Mitchell, who finished superbly to put the Eagles ahead in the 35th minute.
This sparked Palace's best period of the match, but their failure to convert clear opportunities would haunt them. Ismaila Sarr struck the post from an open goal after capitalising on a Strasbourg error, a let-off the home team would not provide twice.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Midfielder Adam Wharton rattled the crossbar with the goal at his mercy, and Yeremy Pino failed to convert a one-on-one chance. Just minutes after Pino's miss, Strasbourg punished this wastefulness, with El Mourabet scoring the decisive goal.
Manager Oliver Glasner did not hide his frustration after the final whistle. 'We have this too often this season that we didn't decide the game when we could,' he bemoaned. 'You can concede the equaliser but we are missing an open goal and big chances... At the moment it just happens too often.'
Chelsea Connections on Show in Strasbourg
The match was notable for the strong Chelsea presence within the Strasbourg squad, leading to pre-match talk of them being a 'Chelsea B team'. Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior had dismissed this label, but the links were undeniable.
With BlueCo's ownership of the Ligue 1 club, seven current, former, or future Chelsea players featured. It was Emanuel Emegha, confirmed to join Enzo Maresca's Chelsea next summer, who made the biggest impact, not only scoring the equaliser but also causing constant problems for Palace's defence.
Other Chelsea-affiliated players, including Diego Moreira and Ben Chilwell, also featured, showcasing the growing pipeline between the two clubs.
Mitchell's Silver Lining in England Audition
On a disappointing night for the team, left-back Tyrick Mitchell provided a major positive. His well-taken goal was his second of the season and highlighted his continued development in the final third.
With England manager Thomas Tuchel still assessing his options at left-back, Mitchell's consistent Premier League performances and now his impact in Europe will have done his chances of an international call-up no harm.
'I’ve been working on it (my attacking) and got better at it this season,' Mitchell stated after the match. 'I’m happy I contributed but unfortunately we didn’t take away three points. It's disappointing and we have to be more clinical.'
For Crystal Palace, the lesson is clear: clinical finishing is non-negotiable on the European stage.
