Crystal Palace up and running as they start fresh European adventure by overpowering Lech Poznan
Europa League Group Stage
Crystal Palace (3) 4 Pino 10, Richards 27, Stand Larsen 34pen, Nketiah 89
Lech Poznan (0) 0 Murawski s/o 87
Better late than never, Palace have finally taken part in the Europa League which proved so elusive last season .
A year on from their controversial demotion to the Conference League because of ownership infractions, they are up and running in the continent's second tier competition.
It was undoubtedly a blessing in disguise to delay entry into the Europa, given how the wonderful Conference adventure panned out, with its memorable Leipzig finale. But it also means they have more experience of these kind of nights and it showed.
They were soon in front and on top and the gulf in class was clear as the Eagles - slow starters in last year's Conference group stages - raced into an unassailable lead.
Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised. Poznan may be more famous for giving the world Robert Lewandowski and their infamous backs-to-the-play celebrations than for anything achieved in European competitions.
They made the Conference League quarter-finals in 2023 before going out to Fiorentina, and the last 16 of the same competition last season before going out to Shakhtar Donetsk.
They don't want for experience, having clocked up 188 matches in various Euro competitions since their first participation in the 1978-79 Uefa Cup, but have never quite made a breakthrough.
The Polish Ekstraklasa side have started their season pretty well, with five wins and one defeat, putting them third in the table behind Gornick Zabrze and Legia Warsaw. They are also the current champions, having claimed their 10th title last season to make it back-to-back league successes. But they were no match for the Eagles.
That said, Palace had a lucky escape in the opening minutes when Mikael Ishak, the Poznan skipper and centre forward, missed a sitter, scuffing wide after being found unmarked in the middle by Patrik Walemark.
It was not long before the Poles were made to pay and after a crazy throw-in from defender Terry Yegbe across the face of his own goal, Yeremy Pino pounced - taking the ball on and firing low past keeper Mateusz Lis.
Adam Wharton was soon dictating the tempo but Lech still carried a threat. It needed a good Axel Disasi block to thwart one attempt while the Eagles rearguard was easily breached by a through ball that Ishak put over the bar.
Once again they were soon made to regret their profligacy when an inswinging corner from Wharton travelled to the back post and Chris Richards rose highest to nod home.
It wasn't long before the game was out of sight. Pino, baulked by Radoslaw Murawski just inside the area gave Jorgen Strand Larsen the chance to fire in goal number three from the penalty spot - which he did with a perfect strike into the top corner (Save it for the bigger games Jorgen!).
It almost got worse for the Poles when Yegbe nearly compounded his throw-in catastrophe with a spectacular own goal from way outside his own area as his interception of a cross flew high into the net. Luckily for him, his blushes were spared by a linesman's flag.
But it was effectively all over bar the red flares lit by Poznan fans - the game largely going through the motions after the break.
There were to be a few late footnotes, though. Sub Eddie Nketiah missed a great chance soon after coming on by drilling wide with only the keeper to beat but made amends towards the end by scoring the fourth after cutting back onto his left foot on the edge of the area before finishing smartly to make it 4-0.
Walter Benitez made a fine stop to thwart Michael Gurgul's attempt to find the bottom corner with a powerful hit and Lech's miserable night saw them end the game with 10 men - Murawski sent off for a second yellow just before Nketiah's goal.
The long road to a Frakfurt final has begun.
Next up for Palace is Leeds away on Sunday.
Remaining Eagles Europa League Fixtures: Lyon (A) Oct 15; Besiktas (A) Oct 22; Hoffenheim (H) Nov 5; Real Socieded (H) Nov 26; Jagiellonia (A) Dec 10; Sparta Prague (H) Jan 21; RB Salzburg (a) Jan 28.
Eagles: (3-4-3) Benitez - Richards (Canvot 74), Disasi, Ahanor - Khalaili (Mingueza 61), Timber (McNeil 61), Wharton, Mitchell - Kamada (Sarr 74), Strand Larsen (Nketiah 74), Pino
Poznan: (4-2-3-1) Lis - Joel Pereira (Gumny 70), Monka, Yegbe, Gurgul - Murawski, Rodriguez (Hakans 81) - Walemark Bengtsson 70), Palma, Sayyadmanesh (Jagietto 61) - Ishak (Agnero 61)
Attendance: 18,117
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