Report & Highlights: Palace knocked out of Premier League International Cup

Summary

• Four changes to the side which beat Leicester last week

• 2: Derry, Ola-Adebomi and Wells-Morrison come close to finding an opener

• 4 - GOAL: Sakar puts Leipzig ahead with a first-time finish

• 9: Grehan denies Leipzig with a goal line clearance

• 15 - GOAL: Derry equalises for Palace with a good finish

• 23: Palace work it well, but Mustapha’s effort is stopped

• 39: Weißbach’s deflected effort is held by Moulden

• 41: Ebiowei’s free-kick from 25-yards out is narrowly wide

• HT: Palace 1-1 Leipzig

• 47: Ebiowei’s strike from distance is held by the ‘keeper

• 52: Ebiowei almost nets a sensational solo effort

• 58 - GOAL: Leipzig reclaim the lead from the spot

• 73: Grante does brilliantly to deny Klapija

• 74: Plange’s header at the far post is somehow kept out

• 81: Nascimento’s volley is held

• 90+4: Palace almost claim a late equaliser

• FT: Palace 1-2 Leipzig

A week on from the 2-0 win away at Leicester City, Crystal Palace Under-21s welcomed international opposition to Sutton in the form of RB Leipzig.

There were four changes to the side which faced the Foxes, with Joe Sheridan, Rio Cardines, Hindolo Mustapha and Jesse Derry coming in for Rob Holding, Cormac Austin, Franco Umeh and Joe Gibbard.

Palace got off to a flying start and nearly took the lead inside two minutes as Derry, Ademola Ola-Adebomi and Jack Wells-Morrison all saw efforts denied by the Leipzig defence and ‘keeper.

It was Leipzig who took the lead with just four minutes on the clock, Faik Sakar scored a first-time strike following good work in the build-up from Nuha Jutta.

Leipzig were in the ascendency and nearly doubled their lead within five minutes. Jutta’s header was cleared off the line by captain Seán Grehan, while a Laurin Schoßler effort from distance went over the bar.

Palace levelled a quarter of an hour in with Derry netting his first ever goal at Under-21s level. Ola-Adebomi pounced on a loose pass inside the final third and managed to square it to Derry to sweep in on the edge of the box.

It was Palace who were now looking more likely to net the third following the equaliser. Excellent build-up play from front to back saw Jake Grante pick out Mustapha on the edge of the box, though his effort was tame and simple enough for ‘keeper Fernando Dickes to claim.

Late on in the first-half, Laurin Schößler had a strike from distance deflect goalbound, though Louie Moulden in the Palace goal was equal to it. A free-kick from about 25-yards out from Malcolm Ebiowei was also just wide of the mark for Palace before the break.

After the interval it was all going through Ebiowei as the Eagles tried to get their noses in front. He initially saw an effort from 30-yards held by Dickes, before going on a surging solo run - spinning his marker and skipping past two challenges before dragging an effort narrowly wide.

Just before the hour-mark, Leipzig were awarded a penalty as Sheridan was adjudged to have handled it inside the box. Moulden got a hand to Amos Gerth’s attempt from 12-yards, however it just crept in low down to his right.

Palace had it all to do to get back into the game once more, though Leipzig nearly added a third with 15 minutes remaining. Grante did brilliantly to deny second-half substitute Dino Klapija with a sliding block.

Two Palace substitutes combined as Finley Marjoram picked out Luke Plange at the far post, with the latter’s header being somehow palmed away by a scrambling Dickes. Adler Nascimento, who was making his first appearance since October, also saw an effort stopped by Dickes late on.

It wasn’t to be for Palace, despite a last-gasp attempt at an equaliser where Grehan flicked on Dylan Reid’s strike back into the box, with the referee blowing for full-time after four minutes of time added on.

Palace’s defence of the Premier League International Cup ends in the group stage for 2024/25. Attention now turns to finishing as high as possible in the Premier League 2 and securing a play-off place.

Palace: Moulden (GK), Grante (Gibbard, 75), Browne, Sheridan, Grehan, Mustapha (Reid, 64), Cardines (Marjoram, 64), Wells-Morrison, Ola-Adebomi (Plange, 64), Ebiowei, Derry (Nascimento, 75).

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Austin.

Leipzig: Dickes (GK), Koss, Hennig, Schößler (Saric, 75), Jatta, Sakar (Klapija, 67), Gerth (Bulland, 75), Schuldes, Walther (Böhm, 67), Neumann, Weißbach (Damala, 87).

Sub not used: Janosch (GK).