The victory was the Eagles’ first-ever home win in a main stage of a UEFA competition and puts them in contention for a direct route through to the Last 16 with three games remaining of the league stage.
An unusually mild November night in South London saw Glasner make just one change to the team who saw off Brentford in the Premier League last Saturday, Will Hughes starting in place of Daichi Kamada, who moved to the bench. Chadi Riad was not named in the squad after taking part in training following a long-term injury.
After much talk about the December fixture list piling up for the South Londoners, the Dutch side were the second of three home fixtures faced in just nine days, but it was one for the home fans to savour following their last European experience at Selhurst – a loss against AEK Larnaca last month.
Having struggled in previous UEFA games against the defensive-minded Fredrikstad and Larnaca, AZ Alkmaar provided a more familiar opposition to break down in an exciting, open contest.
It was the visitors who had the first real chance of the game, with the impressive Kees Smit shooting straight at Dean Henderson after being played through. The 2025 EURO U19 player of the tournament was a constant thorn in the Palace side, but he alone could not make the difference as a breath of fresh air blew through the home side with their best performance in the continental competition so far.
Glasner’s men did not take long to create their first opportunity. A training ground routine in the 12th minute saw Chris Richards head a free-kick back across goal, with Sarr having time to chest it down and strike, but, falling backwards, his shot was just off, hitting the post as Marc Guehi shot wide on the follow-up.
Jefferson Lerma, preferred by Glasner for his prowess at set-pieces, then saw his long-throw cause issues in the box just moments later and seconds after, Sarr was brought down in the box for a penalty – given after a near two-minute VAR wait. Unfortunately, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s weak effort in the 17th minute was easily saved by Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, but that did not affect the fluid Palace attack.
A minute later, Sarr’s header in the box was well-saved by Owusu-Oduro, with Will Hughes’ effort from the loose ball clipping the bar, Sarr then heading over from close range.
A goal was coming and it was delivered four minutes later (22nd minute) when Maxence Lacroix slotted home from range inside the box. A Lerma long-throw was headed back into the box by Tyrick Mitchell and knocked down at the French defender’s feet by a combination of Guehi and Lacroix – but, again, a VAR wait – almost three minutes – followed with the on-field offside decision eventually overturned.
The goal marked the first at home for Palace in a main stage of a UEFA competition.
With the home side in the ascendency, and buoyed by home crowd shouting ‘Huuughes”, the midfielder curled a left-footer from outside the box with the swerve and rise on the ball seeing Owusu-Oduro preferring to parry it back out.
But Alkmaar’s danger in attack was highlighted soon after with Henderson called into action, saving former Millwall loanee Troy Parrott’s long-ranger and Ibrahim Sidiq’s follow up, the England international breathing out a big sigh of relief in a rare call to action.
However, Glasner’s men ploughed ahead in the fourth minute of additional first half time, Sarr heading home from close range after the ball was knocked about in the box, Lerma again providing the assist. It was the fifth different competition the Senegalese attacker has scored in this season.
With Palace looking dangerous, the half-time whistle came too early and it was the visitors who came out strongly in the second period as Smit finally made his mark in the game.
The midfielder provided a decisive assist for his side’s solitary goal, his quick-thinking first-time ball into the box after the Palace defence had cleared from a counter, beautifully setting up captain Sven Mijnans in the 54th minute to bring the ball under control in the box and slot home thanks to a big deflection from Munoz over the static Henderson who tried in vain to head the ball clear.
But this did little to affect the attacking intent for Palace as just three minutes later a surgical through ball from Mateta from inside his own half beautifully played in Sarr who came from behind two Alkmaar defenders to power through into space and slot home to put his side 3-1 ahead in the 57th minute.
Five minutes later Sarr returned the favour but Mateta could only shoot wide as the home side eased through the final third, Glasner making a number of substitutes including Kamada, whose 85th minute goal was ruled out for offside.
Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz (Clyne, 85), Hughes (Wharton, 64), Lerma, Mitchell, Sarr (Kamada, 65), Pino (Devenny, 73), Mateta (Uche, 86).
Subs: Benítez, Matthews, Canvot, Sosa, Esse.