Crystal Palace's manager, Oliver Glasner, expressed his disappointment over the team's inefficiency in front of goal following their 2-1 defeat to Strasbourg in the Conference League. Despite leading through Tyrick Mitchell's goal in the 35th minute, Palace failed to capitalise on further opportunities, allowing Strasbourg to come back and win.
Palace had been on a five-match unbeaten run before this game. They had a chance to extend their lead when Ismaila Sarr hit the post after a mistake by Mike Penders. However, Emanuel Emegha equalised for Strasbourg in the 53rd minute with a low cross finish. Later, Adam Wharton missed another opportunity for Palace by hitting the crossbar.
Samir El Mourabet secured victory for Strasbourg by scoring from
a rebound after Julio Enciso's free-kick hit the bar. This left Palace in 18th place in the Conference League table with six points from four games. A win could have moved them into automatic qualification positions.
Glasner criticised his team's finishing, stating, "When you twice have an empty goal in front of you, and you miss the goal twice, hitting the post, you should be 3-1 up. " He added that failing to convert chances has been a recurring issue this season.
The manager highlighted similar problems in previous matches against Larnaca and Brentford. In those games, Palace also struggled to finish off chances early on. Glasner noted that while they managed to keep a clean sheet against Brentford and win 2-0, they were not as fortunate against Larnaca or Strasbourg.
Palace recorded 16 shots with an expected goals (xG) of 2.1 compared to Strasbourg's 13 attempts and 2.4 xG. Glasner emphasised the need for players who can consistently score goals and acknowledged that opponents are also performing well.
"It is a little bit the story," Glasner remarked about their missed opportunities. He stressed that relying solely on defence isn't enough because opponents are also capable of scoring.
The loss to Strasbourg marks Palace's second defeat due to missed chances this season. Glasner believes that even small lapses can lead to losses against strong teams like Strasbourg.
Despite these setbacks, Glasner remains focused on improving his team's performance in future matches by addressing their finishing issues and ensuring they make better use of scoring opportunities when they arise.
