U21s Report: Seventh heaven for Palace as they topple PSG

Summary

• Paddy McCarthy made four changes from the side which drew with Chelsea

• PSG took the lead early on through Queysell Tchicamboud

• Palace responded with John-Kymani Gordon’s equaliser in the 15th minute

• Five minutes later, Victor Akinwale put Palace ahead

• Gordon found the net again in the 23rd minute

• David Omilabu netted Palace’s fourth 10 minutes before the break

• Half-time: Crystal Palace 4-1 Paris Saint-Germain

• Maliq Cadogan added Palace’s fifth just before the hour mark

• Gordon got his hat-trick just three minutes later

• Christ Mukelenge pulled one back for PSG from distance in the 65th minute

• Tchicamboud missed a penalty in the 72nd minute

• Fionn Mooney added a seventh for Palace in stoppage time

• Full-time: Crystal Palace 7-3 Paris Saint-Germain

Just over a week on from the dramatic 3-3 draw with Chelsea at Selhurst Park, the Eagles were back in Premier League International Cup Action as they welcomed European giants Paris Saint-Germain to Champion Hill.

Manager Paddy McCarthy made four changes to the side which rescued a point, with Sam Johnstone, Maliq Cadgoan, Noah Watson and Victor Akinwale coming in for Owen Goodman, Seán Grehan, Kofi Balmer and Malcolm Ebiowei.

The crowd at Champion Hill got behind the Eagles from the off and nearly saw them take the lead in the opening minute of the match. Both Jack Wells-Morrison and John-Kymani Gordon stung the palms of Lucas Lavallée in the PSG net after pressing from the front to win the ball back.

PSG went straight down the other end after Palace’s early attack and managed to open the scoring with their first attack of the game. Queysell Tchicamboud latched on to an Ayman Kari pass to fire the ball past Sam Johnstone in the Palace goal.

The visitors looked good value for their lead, though Palace managed to hit back a quarter of an hour in. The in-form Gordon rose highest to get a boot to a Wells-Morrison corner - his effort looped into the back of the net past a diving Lavallée to pull Palace back into the game.

Momentum swung in Palace’s favour after drawing level and they managed to take the lead just five minutes later. Kaden Rodney’s excellent work down the right saw him race to the byline before whipping a ball low and hard into the box for Victor Akinwale to finish first-time.

Palace secured their third just three minutes later. Akinwale turned provider this time, after winning the ball back in the attacking third, to slip Gordon in behind. The striker outmuscled his marker and slotted the ball home with a side-footed shot to earn a two-goal cushion..

The trend of pressing high up the pitch was working for Palace and it nearly resulted in a fourth goal 10 minutes after scoring the first. Noah Watson won the ball high up the pitch with space to run into and rapidly drove into the box. He got his shot away, but it was parried onto the crossbar and bounced out of play.

It was only a matter of time before Palace found their fourth and it came through David Omilabu. Tireless work from Tayo Adaramola down the left saw him beat his man before putting a great ball across the box for Omilabu. The No. 7 chested it down and managed to guide his shot right into the bottom corner.

Palace went into the break with a three goal lead, fully in control of the game and came out with a spring in their step in the second-half.

Just before the hour-mark, Palace managed to find a fifth. Maliq Cadogan found the back of the net after a well-worked one-two move with Omilabu, darting into the box and finishing across the face of goal.

On the hour-mark, just two minutes after securing a fifth, Gordon scored after a scrap inside the box to secure his hat-trick. Both Cadogan and Akinwale had shots saved and deflected away, before Gordon pounced at the right time inside the six-yard box to seal his 11th goal of the season.

Much like the first-half, the goals continued to flow as PSG pulled one back just moments after Gordon sealed his hat-trick. A long range effort from Christ Mukelenge nestled into the bottom corner to give the visitors a consolation of sorts.

With just under 20 minutes remaining, PSG were awarded a penalty. Goalscorer Tchicamboud stepped up to take it though he fired well wide to Johnstone’s left.

The Parisians had hope of establishing a grandstand finish, as Tchicamboud managed to find the back of the net with 10 minutes remaining, though it was quickly snuffed out as Fionn Mooney added a seventh for Palace in second-half stoppage time.

After second-half substitute Josh Addae saw his shot from the edge of the box go right across the face of goal, Mooney was there to tap home a seventh for the Eagles to round off an exceptional night at Champion Hill.

The result means Paddy McCarthy’s Eagles are now nine games unbeaten in all competitions and are now top of their Premier League International Cup group.

Crystal Palace: Johnstone, Cadogan, Rodney, Watson, Adaramola, Phillips, Ozoh (Bell, 77), Wells-Morrison (Vigor, 65), Omilabu (Addae, 77), Akinwale (Mooney, 65), Gordon (Ola-Adebomi, 65)

Subs not used: Goodman, Imray.

Paris Saint-Germain: Lavallée, Bikouta, Cordier, Doucouré (Adonis, 82), Bagbema (Lopes, 64), Mukelenge, Kari (Diawara, 51), Tchicamboud (Mayulu, 82), Silmani (Lemina, 51), Bagbonon, Bensoula.

Subs not used: Laurendon, Ligneul.