Crystal Palace see off AZ Alkmaar in UEFA Conference League
Crystal Palace returned to winning form in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, claiming a 3-1 victory in London over AZ Alkmaar. This marked their first-ever home win in the main stage of a European competition.
Match Highlights
- Maxence Lacroix opened the scoring after 22 minutes with a precise finish.
- Ismaila Sarr netted twice — once before halftime and again shortly after the hour mark — securing the win.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a 17th-minute penalty for Palace.
- Sven Mijnans briefly gave AZ hope with a deflected goal in the 54th minute.
Player Reactions
“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 Maxence Lacroix to TNT Sports.
Group Standings
With this result, Oliver Glasner’s side moved to six points after three matches in the league phase, maintaining their hopes of progressing further in the tournament.
Elsewhere in Europe
In another match, Mainz staged a late turnaround to defeat Fiorentina 2-1 at home, with Lee Jae-sung scoring the decisive goal in the 95th minute.
Author’s Summary
Crystal Palace secured a vital 3-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar, earning their first home European win under Oliver Glasner thanks to goals from Lacroix and Sarr.