Crystal Palace will get their debut European campaign underway on Thursday when they take on Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park in the first leg of their Conference League playoff qualifying round tie.
The Eagles were controversially demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League as per UEFA rulings, while the Aristocrats dropped into this competition after losing to Midtjylland in the Europa League third qualifying round.
Match preview
Crystal Palace, after a tumultuous start to the 2024-25 campaign, enjoyed a sensational end to the season, recording a 12th-placed finish and lifting their first-ever major trophy.
The Eagles booked their place in the FA Cup final after overcoming Fulham in the quarter-finals and Aston Villa in the semi-finals, and despite being major underdogs against Manchester City in the final, an early Eberechi Eze strike proved the difference as Palace secured Wembley glory.
While a difficult summer has seen Crystal Palace demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League as punishment for breaching multi-club ownership rules and only two players come through the door, the Eagles have continued to impress on the pitch.
Oliver Glasner's side started their season against Liverpool in the Community Shield, and after twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 and send the game to penalties, a Dean Henderson masterclass - with two saves - allowed Palace to prevail at Wembley for the second time in under three months.
Palace looked set to continue their giant-slaying streak when Eze put them into the lead against Chelsea on the Premier League opening day, but VAR ruled out the midfielder's free-kick goal and the Eagles had to settle for a 0-0 draw.
Off-pitch drama flared again at full-time, with Eze appearing to wave farewell to the Palace fans and Marc Guehi seemingly snubbing Glasner, leaving the manager hoping the continued tension does not affect his team on Thursday, when Palace get their first-ever European campaign underway.
Glasner will be looking for his side to secure a first-leg lead before a tricky away trip to Norway next week, and with the hosts undefeated at home in the last seven matches, the Eagles will be confident heading into the encounter.
Fredrikstad coach Andrea Hagen
Alongside Palace's home advantage, Fredrikstad are also enduring a tough moment heading into Thursday's first-leg matchup, as the Aristocrats have managed only two victories from their last 14 competitive fixtures across all competitions.
Andreas Hagen will be devastated by his team's recent struggles, especially after Fredrikstad had recorded a superb start to their 2025-26 campaign back in March, losing one, drawing one and winning eight of their first 10 games.
They were most recently knocked out of the Europa League by FC Midtjylland in the third qualifying round, with their Danish opposition recording a 5-1 aggregate victory over the two legs.
Hagen will be desperate for his side to end their run with a morale-boosting win over Premier League Palace, while also taking a step toward their first European campaign since the 1985-86 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Fredrikstad have faced particular struggles on their travels in recent weeks, however, with the Aristocrats failing to win any of their last seven away matches, suffering four defeats and three draws.
Crystal Palace form (all competitions):
Fredrikstad form (all competitions):
Team News
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner on July 29, 2025
Crystal Palace will be without several players due to injury for this first-leg clash, with Caleb Kporha, Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure, Daichi Kamada, Eddie Nketiah and Matheus Franca all unavailable.
Despite persistent rumours of the potential departures of Eze and Guehi in the transfer window, both remain at the club and should be available for Thursday's team.
Glasner could make a handful of changes on Thursday to ensure his players remain fresh, meaning the likes of Borna Sosa and Romain Esse could start, while the rest of the side that drew to Chelsea is expected to remain the same.
Meanwhile, Fredrikstad's top scorer this season is Emil Holten with six goals, and the striker will be hoping to return to the starting team after featuring from the bench in their Europa League second leg loss to Midtjylland.
Further back the pitch, an unchanged midfield three of Oskar Ohlenschlaeger, Leonard Owusu and Patrick Metcalfe is expected to start, with Stian Molde and Simen Rafn in wide positions.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa; Esse, Eze; Mateta
Fredrikstad possible starting lineup:
Borsheim; Woledzi, Fredriksen, S Owusu; Rafn, Metcalfe, L Owusu, Ohlenschlaeger, Molde; Skogvold, Holten
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We say: Crystal Palace 3-0 Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad are expected to adopt a defensive tactic as they aim to stay in the tie, but Crystal Palace's quality in the final third should see the Eagles break their visitors down and secure a significant first-leg advantage to take into next week's reverse fixture.
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