Crystal Palace Announce Themselves in Europe With Commanding Conference League Win

It’s not often you get to say it: Crystal Palace are making history in Europe.

On their first-ever night in a major European competition, the Eagles looked like seasoned contenders, brushing aside Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 in Poland. Goals from Daniel Muñoz and Eddie Nketiah sealed the win, extending Palace’s unbeaten run to a club-record 19 games and — dare we say it — underlining their credentials as genuine title challengers in the Conference League.

Calm on the Big Stage

For a club dipping its toes into Europe’s waters for the first time, Palace looked anything but nervous. Sure, the first half wasn’t full throttle — Dynamo sat deep and forced Glasner’s side to puzzle their way through. But once Muñoz rose above his marker to bury Yeremy Pino’s inch-perfect cross, the Eagles found their rhythm.

From there, it was all control. Even when Borna Sosa’s red card briefly gave Kyiv a glimmer, Palace never looked flustered. This is a side built on Glasner’s structure but sprinkled with creativity from players like Pino and Daichi Kamada, who nearly scored a wonder goal of his own before halftime.

Wharton Back in Flow

One of the real stories of the night? Adam Wharton.
The 21-year-old glided through midfield, dictating tempo with the kind of composure England fans are desperate to see in the Three Lions setup. His clever ball created what looked like a second for Nketiah before VAR pulled it back for offside. Still, the signs are clear: Wharton’s groin issue is behind him, and his timing couldn’t be better with Gareth Southgate’s (or Tuchel’s!) England squad looming.

Nketiah Finding His Feet

For a striker sometimes criticized for streaky form, Eddie Nketiah took his goal superbly. Pino’s dazzling footwork set it up, and Nketiah’s finish doubled the lead, effectively killing the game before the hour mark. Palace don’t just have a system; they have match-winners in multiple positions. That’s the kind of balance you need if you want to go deep in Europe.

A Team Built for Europe

Here’s the thing: this Palace side doesn’t look like a team dipping into the Conference League by chance. They look like they belong. From the flying wing-backs (Muñoz and Sosa) to the depth in midfield, Glasner has crafted a team that feels every bit as dangerous as West Ham or Chelsea were in their Conference League runs.

And Palace fans won’t want to hear it, but on nights like this, they look like they could be competing a tier higher — yes, even in the Europa League.

What’s Next?

Two home games now await: AEK Larnaca and AZ Alkmaar. On this form, Palace should cruise into the knockout rounds. More importantly, they’ll head into those fixtures with belief — belief that this isn’t just a European adventure for the scrapbook.

This could be the start of something bigger.

Palace are making noise in Europe. And after this performance, nobody’s laughing.