Crystal Palace failed to score at home, Glasna vowed to break down the iron wall.
2026-03-13 01:21
In the first leg of the UEFA Round of 16, Crystal Palace dominated at home but failed to score, ultimately falling short of AEK Larnaca's solid defense.
With the crucial away game against Cyprus looming, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner quickly turned his attention to the second leg in a post-match interview, clearly outlining the key tactical points for the team to break through away from home.
Larnaca have displayed remarkable defensive resilience in the UEFA Cup this season, conceding only one goal in seven matches, including several crucial saves against Crystal Palace in the first leg. Glasner admitted that the team must learn from the first leg and maintain absolute patience in the second.
Glasner specifically pointed out that although Larnaca's new manager Javi Rozada had only been in charge for two days, they still opted for a conservative approach in the first leg, continuing the team's existing tactical system. Glasner predicted that their opponents would likely repeat the same tactics in Cyprus, therefore Crystal Palace must proactively adapt.
Regarding the inability to score, Glasner revealed the core tactical idea for the second leg: "We need to try to find areas where we can create local numerical advantages (overloads)."
“I think Brennan Johnson played very well in the second half, making several good crosses that successfully broke through the opponent's defense, just like in the first half.”
"Ultimately, if you have three clear-cut chances, we had three today. If we had just scored one, we would have won. We didn't capitalize on that today. So, the final will be decided in Cyprus."
Image source: Internet
