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It is a peculiarity particular to Crystal Palace that a season of such upheaval and unrest could still end up with Oliver Glasner’s side winning another trophy. Having left the pitch after last week’s first leg with supporters calling for the Austrian manager to be sacked in the morning, Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand made it a much more harmonious evening for Glasner and his side.
After being fortunate to escape from last week’s trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 1-1 draw, it could have been very different if Zrinjski Mostar had equalised just before Guessand settled the tie late on. But having been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last season, Palace’s first European campaign will continue against either the Cypriot side Larnaca – who they lost to during the group stages – or Mainz from Germany in the last 16.
“There is so much noise, so sometimes we really don’t understand it, but maybe I gave some interviews that were not really helpful, I have to admit,” said Glasner in reference to his comments after the first leg when he told fans to “stay humble”.
“I just had to express it otherwise I would have exploded. I can’t do it differently. If I feel something, I have to say it. Then I have to face the shitstorm. Everyone hopefully knows everything I say and do is for the best of Crystal Palace.”
Palace rejected a request from the supporters’ group responsible for the banner directed against Glasner and the club’s board in their last match against Wolves to turn off the music so they could “back the team during the pre-match warm-up” on the grounds that Uefa’s regulations wouldn’t allow it.
But the presence of a large group of travelling supporters who took up position two hours before kick-off helped to create a decent atmosphere despite a large number of empty seats in the home sections. “40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats,” read the latest message that was displayed by the Holmesdale Fanatics during the first half.
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ShowWilliot Swedberg scored the only goal as Celta Vigo beat PAOK 3-1 on aggregate in their Europa League playoff second leg to set up a last-16 tie against either Aston Villa or Lyon.
Lille bounced back from losing the first leg to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and, in extra time, Nathan Ngoy, and will provide the other potential opposition for Villa or Lyon in Friday's draw.
Robbie Keane's Ferencvaros side also overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at home and knock out Ludogorets Razgrad.
First-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen put the Hungarian side into the next round, where they will face Porto or Braga, one of which Stuttgart will also face despite losing 1-0 at home to Celtic.
Luke McCowan's goal after 28 seconds was the Europa League's fastest in 10 years but the hosts prevailed 4-2 on aggregate.
Panathinaikos, who played the second half of extra time with 10 men after Javi Hernández was sent off, beat Viktoria Plzen 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the second leg made it 3-3 on aggregate.
Andreas Tetteh put the visitors ahead early but Karel Spacil equalised for Plzen and in the shootout Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick with Midtjylland or Real Betis awaiting in the last 16. Nottingham Forest, who beat Fenerbahce on aggregate, are also potential opponents for Midtjylland or Betis.
Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to set up last-16 tie with either Roma or Freiburg, who could also face Genk.
The Belgians survived a fightback from Dinamo Zagreb who, having scored three times to make it 3-1 on the night and 4-4 on aggregate then had Luka Stojkovic sent off in extra time either side of the home side scoring twice.
In the Conference League, Fiorentina needed extra time to prevail after throwing away a 3-0 lead from the first leg at Poland's Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Bartosz Mazurek had led the comeback with a hat-trick, but substitutes Nicolò Fagioli and an own goal in extra time proved enough for the Italian team despite Jagiellonia winning 4-2 on the night – Fiorentina won 5-4 on aggregate. Agencies
It seemed like Zrinjski – managed by the former Derby defender Igor Stimac – could be in for a long evening when Jørgen Strand Larsen’s shot deflected wide in the fifth minute.
But they managed to keep Palace at arm’s length until almost half-time thanks to some brave defending. Guessand, who was starting for only the second time since his loan move from Aston Villa after scoring the decisive goal against Wolves, could not take advantage of a mix-up between the goalkeeper Goran Karacic and Igor Savic before the latter blocked Daichi Kamada’s goalbound shot.
The Palace fans were starting to get on the Portuguese referee’s back after a series of decisions went against their side, with Jaydee Canvot and Strand Larsen both cautioned.
But in a season where defending set pieces has proved to be a major weakness, Glasner punched the air in delight when Adam Wharton’s pinpoint free-kick was headed in by Lacroix.
The England midfielder has been showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks but is still capable of providing real quality, as well as the occasional mistake. It was Wharton’s slip that allowed Leo Mikic a first sight of goal for Zrinjski just before half-time but his shot was jeered as it sailed wide.
Wharton was withdrawn not long after he had been shown a yellow card for a high boot, with Glasner revealing afterwards that the fourth official had warned he was close to a second booking. “Him and Will Hughes are rotating themselves by fouling too much,” he said.
Ismaïla Sarr headed well over from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross in a rare sight of goal as another of Palace’s issues this season – struggling to break down teams employing a low block – returned. Their best chance of extending the lead was from another set piece and Chris Richards should have done better from close range on two occasions from a couple of Kamada free-kicks.
There was a warning for Palace that the tie wasn’t over when Zrinjski had a goal correctly ruled out for offside with 25 minutes still to play. Yet it was the hosts who should have wrapped up the victory as the chances came thick and fast. Guessand had a golden opportunity to settle it but saw his shot saved by Karacic and Sarr was also guilty of missing two chances that looked easier to score.
Zrinjski’s big moment came in the second minute of injury time but the substitute Tomi Juric could only head over before Guessand finally made sure to send Palace into the next round.
