Crystal Palace’s dismal run continued on Thursday night as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Zrinjski Mostar in the first leg of their Conference League play-off.
Despite controlling over 70% of possession, Oliver Glasner’s side failed to kill off the game, leaving the tie wide open ahead of the return leg at Selhurst Park on February 26.
Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring just before half-time, curling home after a sharp setup from Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The hosts punished a sloppy Adam Wharton pass, with Karlo Abramovic drilling a finish past Dean Henderson to level the scores.
Palace survived an 81st-minute VAR check for a potential handball by Daniel Munoz, which would have handed the Bosnian side a late penalty.
This result highlights the ongoing identity crisis at Selhurst Park. Since December, the Eagles have plummeted from 5th to 13th in the Premier League and suffered a shock FA Cup exit to sixth-tier Macclesfield.
With manager Oliver Glasner set to leave at the end of the season and only one win in their last 15 games, Palace look a shadow of the team that lifted the FA Cup last year.
While they remain favorites to progress at home next week, their lack of clinical edge remains a major concern for the South London faithful.
