Crystal Palace were held to a frustrating goalless draw by AEK Larnaca in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 clash at Selhurst Park.

The London side dominated possession throughout the evening, controlling more than 70 percent of the ball, yet struggled to find a way through the disciplined Cypriot defence. Crystal Palace nearly made the perfect start in the eighth minute when Evan Guessand found himself in a promising position, but goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic reacted brilliantly to deny the early opener.

After the break, the pattern of the match remained unchanged. AEK Larnaca dropped deep and organised themselves into a compact five-man defensive line, forcing Crystal Palace to rely heavily on crosses and set-pieces. Several dangerous deliveries from Brennan Johnson caused problems in the penalty area, but the visitors held firm.

The tension inside Selhurst Park grew in the closing stages, with the home crowd growing restless. Managerial changes from Crystal Palace included introducing Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose potential winter move to AC Milan ultimately collapsed. The French striker nearly delivered a late breakthrough but failed to connect with a low cross in front of goal.

The 0–0 draw leaves everything to play for in the return leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League tie. The winner will face either ACF Fiorentina or Raków Częstochowa in the quarter-finals, with the Italian side currently holding the advantage in that matchup.

2025-26, Conference League

Crystal Palace - AEK Larnaca 0:0

Crystal Palace: Henderson D.; Mitchell T.; Lacroix M.; Canvot; Richards Chr.; Sarr Is.; Johnson B-n (Pino Y., 87); Wharton A.; Kamada; Strand Larsen (Mateta, 77); Guessand
Substitution: Mateta (from 77); Pino Y. (from 87)
Bench: Matthews Remi; Benitez W.; Clyne; Sosa B.; Riad Chadi; Cardines; Rodney K.; Lerma; Hughes W.; Devenny
Yellow Cards: Wharton A. 40

AEK Larnaca: Alomerovic; Saborit; Angel Garcia (Mudrazija, 87); Miramón (Ioannou P., 29); Ekpolo; Pons; Luís Gustavo; Rohdén (Kyriakou Cham., 87); Miličević Hrvoje; Ivanovic D.; Bajić (Cabrera En., 68)
Substitution: Ioannou P. (from 29); Cabrera En. (from 68); Kyriakou Cham. (from 87); Mudrazija (from 87)
Bench: Paraskevas; Demetriou D.; Thoma C.; Loukaïdis; Gonzalez M.