Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski Prediction: Sarr can overcome Palace malice

Crystal Palace have work to do as they face Zrinjski this Thursday, February 25 (20:00GMT, TNT Sports) in the Conference League play-off second leg. The Eagles drew 1-1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With fan sentiment firmly against outgoing manager Oliver Glasner, continental success feels like Palace’s last punt at turning the tide of public opinion. Read on for my Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski predictions with the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

Palace defender Maxence Lacroix picked up an adductor injury in the first leg that kept him out of the weekend’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The centre back had been ever-present this season and could be back in contention for this one.

Football Odds

Striker Eddie Nketiah is not expected back until next month as he nurses a thigh problem. But fellow forward Jean-Philippe Mateta could play after recovering from a knee complaint. Midfielder Cheick Doucoure is out for the remainder of the season following surgery on his ACL.

Zrinjski have a full complement to choose from as they approach this second leg with a clean bill of health.

Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski Odds

Palace are priced at 1/8 to secure the win on the night and 1/33 to win the two-legged tie. Zrinjski are 16/1 to get the victory in 90 minutes or 10/1 to win the tie. A draw on the night is 7/1.

Crystal Palace win and under 3.5 goals @ 11/10

Palace have more than enough quality to beat Zrinjski at Selhurst Park. But this is not a team that bangs in goals for fun, even during happier times.

The Eagles have scored more than two goals in a game just twice this season. One occasion saw them take advantage of the gulf between the Premier League and the League of Ireland in a 3-0 win over Shelbourne. The other was a 3-3 draw in the league against Bournemouth in October.

Tellingly, both of these results came before Glasner dropped his bombshell announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

This bet allows the South London side a rare third goal if they choose to score it, but I don’t envision a team labouring in a toxic environment to score any more than that, even against rather modest opposition.

Ismaila Sarr to score first @ 10/3

The last 12 months have probably led to Sarr needing to build a new medal cabinet. The Senegal forward helped his side lift the Africa Cup of Nations, after being controversially denied a goal earlier in the game that partly led to aggrieved fans launching a pitch invasion. But Sarr came away with a medal to put with his FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs with Palace.

Since returning from Afcon, the former Watford man has kept his momentum even as the fans and manager wage war around him. Sarr has popped up with goals against Nottingham Forest, Brighton and today’s opponents since resuming club duties. 

With a job still to do given the 1-1 aggregate score, I can see Palace scoring early. They have netted in the first half of five of their six league phase matches. Sarr himself opened the scoring in the first leg. I reckon he does it again in the second.

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