Crystal Palace have ended their wait for a home victory in European competition.
Crystal Palace claimed their first Conference League home win in style as Ismaila Sarr scored twice in a 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar.
Palace suffered a stunning 1-0 defeat to Cypriot side Larnaca in their previous match at Selhurst Park, but were excellent this time around against the Eredivisie side.
The Eagles dominated the first half and, after Jean-Philippe Mateta saved a penalty, they deservedly took the lead when Maxence Lacroix fired home on the half-volley in the 22nd minute.
Sarr, who had won the earlier penalty, doubled the lead just before half-time, and the Senegal international restored Palace’s two-goal advantage with his second in the 57th minute, three minutes after Sven Mijnans pulled one back for AZ.
Crystal Palace end wait for first home win
Sarr started the Palace assault by hitting the post in the 12th minute and, two minutes later, the referee pointed to the point after it fell under the challenge of AZ Roma goalkeeper Jayden Owusu-Oduro.
The offside flag initially appeared to have negated that decision, but a VAR check revealed the assistant had raised it incorrectly.
Yet the usual clinical Mateta saw a poor penalty easily saved by Owusu-Oduro, whose goal continued to be peppered.
Owusu-Oduro collected a Sarr header with an outstanding reaction save, before Will Hughes hit the cross with an angled volley.
AZ could not hold on, however, and a long throw proved their undoing, with Lacroix taking advantage of their failure to clear to strike into the bottom left corner after the ball had been sent back into the box.
Once again the offside flag was raised only for VAR to overturn the decision, and Palace were forced to wait for another lengthy check after Sarr headed home from close range, his goal confirmed four minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Sarr took advantage of defensive weaknesses, a delivery from the right eventually falling his way after AZ failed to properly clear a free-kick, but the Eredivisie’s third-placed side responded well early in the second half and were rewarded when a neat attack ended with Mijnans’ deflected effort past Dean Henderson.
However, the struggles at the back continued and Sarr made no mistake in punishing them again by rushing onto a deep pass from Mateta and firing confidently into the bottom right corner.
Mateta scored on goal himself soon after, but his finishing was uncharacteristically poor as he headed wide of the far post. The Frenchman’s frustration was evident, but his profligacy was ultimately irrelevant in a third consecutive victory in all competitions for Palace.
Where Crystal Palace stands in the Conference League
Palace’s victory leaves them ninth with two wins from three to start their Conference League campaign.
They are well placed to progress to the knockout stages, with only goal difference keeping them outside the top eight. With the Larnaca result firmly behind them, Palace will be confident of finishing in the top eight and progressing straight to the last 16.
This result ends AZ’s run of five games without defeat in all competitions. 27th with three points from as many matches, they have work to do to keep their campaign alive.
Samsunspor, Celje and Mainz are the three teams with a 100 percent record in the competition.
Palace’s next game in the Conference League will be tough, as they travel to Strasbourg on November 27.
