After all the celebrations, this was a reality check for Crystal Palace. Having comfortably beaten Dynamo Kyiv on their Conference League debut, the FA Cup winners had been expected to roll over their Cypriot counterparts in the club’s first home game in the main draw of a European competition.
Instead Oliver Glasner’s side were handed a harsh lesson about what it takes to be successful at this level as a mistake from the teenage defender Jaydee Canvot on only his second start since joining in the summer allowed Larnaca to take a surprise lead before some stout defending kept Palace’s onslaught at bay. Perhaps this won’t be the procession that many had predicted after they were demoted from the Europa League.
“We made one mistake and they punished us,” said Glasner. “The players will learn from it. I know this group. It’s a frustrating night. On the other side, maybe the whole environment needed it to stay humble.”
To mark the occasion, Palace’s fans unfurled a huge tifo before kick-off with a slight variation on the Dad’s Army theme tune and was no doubt aimed at Uefa. “We are the boys that will win your little game,” it read together with red and blue arrows advancing on Leipzig, where the final of this competition will be played.
