#crystal-palace

#crystal-palace

Crystal Palace were held to a 1-1 draw by Zrinjski in their first leg of their Conference League play-off tie. Ismaila Sarr's first-half strike was cancelled out by Karlo Abramovic at Stadion Bijeli Brijeg, with the Eagles' hopes of making the last 16 remaining in the balance ahead of next week's return fixture at Selhurst Park. Palace thought they had gone ahead in the 12th minute through Sarr, after he tapped in from Daniel Munoz's flick on, but the linesman raised his flag as Chris Richards was found to be offside in the build-up.

The visitors began brightly at Stadion Bijeli Brijeg, controlling possession and probing down the flanks. Ismaila Sarr looked the most threatening outlet in the opening exchanges, forcing an early save before seeing a goal ruled out for offside after Palace worked a long free-kick into the box. Despite Palace's territorial dominance, clear chances were frustratingly limited. Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada attempted to thread passes through a compact Zrinjski defence, but the hosts remained organised and disciplined.

The prospect of Antonio Rudiger making a dramatic return to the Premier League is gathering momentum ahead of the summer transfer window, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside. The experienced German defender is approaching the final months of his contract with Real Madrid, and uncertainty surrounding his future in Spain has alerted several clubs across Europe. The defender has made eight appearances in La Liga for Real Madrid this season.

"I can't explain it, we gave the game away too easy," Palace boss Glasner said to TNT Sports after his 100th game in charge of the club ended in disappointment. "Maybe it was too easy. There was a lack of intensity and we didn't defend well. "We are not showing a consistent performance over 95 minutes very often. Once it's this [reason], once it's that - and you get punished.

The player will be out of contract at the end of the season, and the Eagles are hoping to sign him on a bargain. It is no secret that they need a quality central defender, especially after Marc Guehi's departure. Senesi has proven himself in the Premier League with consistent performances, and there is no doubt that he would be an asset for the Eagles. Signing a layer of his quality and experience for free would be a masterstroke.

Cherif had emerged as a leading candidate to strengthen Palace's attacking options, with head coach Oliver Glasner keen to secure a reliable replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta. Palace were understood to have made significant progress, including reaching an agreement on personal terms with the Angers striker. However, the Premier League side have now been beaten to the deal by Fenerbahce, who moved decisively to wrap up negotiations.