February 19, (THEWILL) — Zrinjski held Crystal Palace to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off tie at Stadion Bijeli Brijeg, leaving Oliver Glasner’s side with work to do ahead of the return fixture at Selhurst Park.
Ismaila Sarr gave Palace the lead shortly before the interval, placing the ball into the bottom-right corner after a lay-off from Jorgen Strand Larsen, who was making his first appearance in senior European competition. The Senegal forward had seen an earlier effort ruled out in the 12th minute, with Chris Richards adjudged offside in the build-up to his tap-in from Daniel Munoz’s flick-on.
Palace were slow to respond after the break and were punished for their sluggish restart. Leo Mikic stripped Adam Wharton of possession before threading Karlo Abramovic through on goal, and the Zrinjski forward finished without difficulty to level the contest.
The home side came close to taking the lead when Mario Cuze failed to convert from close range after the hour mark. Wharton, seeking to make amends for his costly error, struck the woodwork late on, but Palace could not find a winner and must now rely on their home advantage in the second leg.
The tie is evenly poised with everything still to play for when the two sides meet again in south London, where Palace will hope Selhurst Park can prove the difference in earning their place in the last 16.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
