Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznań

Crystal Palace made an emphatic start to their Europa League campaign, brushing aside Lech Poznan 4-0 at Selhurst Park. The tone was set inside ten minutes when Yeremy Pino pounced on a sloppy throw-in and slotted home, and the hosts never let up from there. Chris Richards doubled the lead in the 27th minute, powering in a header from an Adam Wharton corner, before Jorgen Strand Larsen converted a penalty in the 34th minute to make it 3-0 by half-time. Lech's night worsened further when Radoslaw Murawski was sent off in the 87th minute, and substitute Eddie Nketiah punished the extra man advantage moments later, finishing off a through ball in the 89th minute. It was a statement performance from Palace, who controlled the game from start to finish and looked every bit the confident side that lifted the Conference League last season. For Lech Poznan, playing in consecutive European campaigns for the first time in decades, it was a harsh lesson against a well-organized opponent, leaving them with plenty to fix before their next continental test.