In the final round of the UEFA Champions League stage, Crystal Palace drew 2-2 at home against Finnish champions Kuopio. Despite failing to secure all three points, manager Oliver Glasner gave high praise to the young academy players he had coached after the match.

In this match, Crystal Palace fielded their youngest starting lineup since 1982, including four academy graduates. In an interview, Glasner specifically praised these future cornerstones of the team.

Dean Bennamar, only 17 years old, received extremely high praise from Glasner for his performance on the defensive line. Although a long injury layoff had prevented him from recovering to his best physical condition, forcing him to leave the field after 60 minutes due to cramps, his defensive awareness was already remarkable.

Meanwhile, George King impressed the entire arena with a maturity beyond his years. As the defensive anchor, he not only performed steadily on the defensive end but also demonstrated precision and efficiency in organizing the offense, making almost no mistakes throughout the game. Such consistency is rare for a young guard.

In midfield, Kaden Rodney became the team's "metronome." In the highly competitive number 6 position, he demonstrated excellent control, whether it was pressing after losing possession or making long passes and orchestrating the offense with ease.

The most attention-grabbing player of the entire event was undoubtedly 16-year-old Joel Drexs-Thomas. Glasner lavished praise on him: "I love his confidence in taking responsibility. He's not afraid to make mistakes, and this willingness to face challenges is exactly what we're looking for."

Glasner emphasized that although the team paid the price of experience due to its youth, and the fact that everyone was cramping up reflected that they had not yet adapted to the high intensity of the professional level, they showed the team's future.

“They not only stepped up, but they played with confidence,” Glasner said. “This draw means we have to play in the playoffs in February, but it gives more time for injured players to return. Although we took the risk of a draw to rotate our key players, it was all worth it to see these young players grow.”