Jean-Philippe Mateta's goal secured a 1-0 victory for Crystal Palace against Fredrikstad in the first leg of their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park. This marked Crystal Palace's first foray into a major European competition.

The match was overshadowed by the absence of Eberechi Eze, who is reportedly close to a £60 million move to Arsenal. Palace boss Oliver Glasner initially intended for Eze to start, but Eze called him on Thursday morning to say he was unwell.

Mateta's decisive goal came in the 54th minute, proving to be the winner as Crystal Palace were unable to capitalize on further opportunities. Captain Marc Guehi, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, was in the starting lineup.

After winning the FA Cup in May, Crystal Palace had anticipated playing in the Europa League, where they would have directly qualified for the league phase. However, a convoluted battle over multi-club ownership and their subsequent demotion by UEFA to the Conference League led to the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejecting their appeal. Nottingham Forest is expected to take the Europa League place.

Crystal Palace fans expressed their displeasure with a "UEFA Mafia" banner and chants directed at the European governing body and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The game itself saw Crystal Palace create their first chance after nearly 15 minutes, with Guehi heading over from Jefferson Lerma's long throw. Mateta directed a shot straight at Fredrikstad keeper Martin Borsheim, and Lerma volleyed goalwards. Ultimately, Mateta's header put the hosts in front.

Glasner, who previously led Eintracht Frankfurt to victory in the Europa League in 2022, acknowledged that the tie is not over, with the second leg to be played on an artificial surface next week. He also expressed his disappointment that Eze was unable to play, which disrupted the team's preparations.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, born on June 28, 1997, is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Crystal Palace. He began his career with Châteauroux before joining Lyon in 2016. After a loan spell with Le Havre, he moved to Mainz and then to Crystal Palace.

Mateta's previous season saw him score a hat-trick in a 5-0 win against Aston Villa. He has also represented France at the U19, U21, and Olympic levels, winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. In the FA Cup final against Manchester City, Mateta contributed to Eberechi Eze's winning goal.