Crystal Palace defeat AZ Alkmaar in UEFA Conference League
Crystal Palace returned to form in the UEFA Conference League with a 3–1 home victory over AZ Alkmaar in London, marking their first-ever home win in the main stage of a European competition.
Match summary
Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after Jean-Philippe Mateta had earlier missed a penalty. Ismaila Sarr added two more goals — the first just before halftime and the second after AZ’s Sven Mijnans briefly reduced the deficit with a deflected shot in the 54th minute.
“The game we lost here was sad for us but we said before we want to give the win to the fans. Everyone deserves it,” said Lacroix to TNT Sports.
Coach and player performances
Under the guidance of Oliver Glasner, Palace reached six points after three group stage matches. The win brought renewed confidence to a team that had previously suffered a surprising defeat to AEK Larnaca.
Elsewhere in Europe
Mainz secured a 2–1 home victory over Fiorentina with a dramatic 95th-minute winner from Lee Jae-sung.
Key moments
- 17’ – Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a penalty for Palace.
- 22’ – Maxence Lacroix scored the opener.
- 45’ – Ismaila Sarr extended the lead before halftime.
- 54’ – Sven Mijnans scored for AZ Alkmaar.
- 57’ – Sarr sealed the win with his second goal.
Author’s summary
Crystal Palace’s convincing 3–1 victory over AZ Alkmaar restored their European confidence, powered by Lacroix’s opener and Sarr’s crucial brace.