Crystal Palace have secured their place in the Conference League group stage after a hard-fought goalless draw against Fredrikstad in Norway. The result, played on August 28, 2025, at the Nye Fredrikstad Stadion, was enough to secure an aggregate victory for the Eagles, following their 1-0 win in the first leg at Selhurst Park.
Oliver Glasner's side demonstrated a gritty defensive performance to navigate a challenging artificial pitch and a determined Fredrikstad team. Despite the narrow defeat in the first leg, Andreas Hagen's Fredrikstad piled on the pressure, but Palace held firm to equal a club record of 13 matches unbeaten while playing in the top flight.
More than 1,700 Crystal Palace fans made the journey from South London to support their team in what was, for many, an unprecedented European away fixture. The manager, ever meticulous in his preparations, had ensured that the squad trained on Fredrikstad's artificial pitch the day before the game, with Adam Wharton acknowledging the difficulty of the surface. Glasner had complained about having only 14 available outfield players after Will Hughes and Odsonne Édouard were ruled out. However, Daichi Kamada was able to return from injury and play in a more attacking role, and Marc Guéhi delivered another strong performance.
The first leg at Selhurst Park saw Jean-Philippe Mateta score the decisive goal, giving Crystal Palace a slender lead to defend in Norway. Crystal Palace's first-ever goal in European football came against a well-drilled Fredrikstad side. Without their talismanic England forward, Eberechi Eze, who is nearing a £67.5m move to Arsenal, Palace found it difficult to break down the Norwegian side in the first half.
Fredrikstad, who had returned to Norway's top flight for the first time since 2012 and won their domestic cup competition, lined up with five at the back and were resolute in defense. They even had a chance to snatch an equalizer when Henrik Skogvold's shot went wide in injury time.
In the second leg, neither side managed to find the net, resulting in a goalless draw. The result sees Crystal Palace progress to the Conference League group stages, marking a historic moment for the club. The team will now await the draw for the group stage to discover who they will face in the next round of the competition.
