Europa League offers precious little relief for under-pressure Sage but 10-man Palace get out of jail
Europa League Matchday 4
Crystal Palace (0) 1 Kamada 91 Wharton s/o 77
TSG Hoffenheim (1) 1 Prass 7
An injury time strike from Daichi Kamada gave Crystal Palace a share of the spoils to keep their Europa League ambitions very much alive - but it was another largely unimpressive showing from the struggling Eagles.
The biggest plus is that they found a way of cancelling out an early Hoffenheim goal despite being reduced to 10 men for the last 13 minutes.
But no one will feel the evening was especially encouraging ahead of Sunday's clash with Liverpool.
Nothing at this stage of the competition feels like a disaster - though the advantages of finishing in the top eight for automatic knockout qualitative are obvious.
The Eagles picked up only one point from away games against Lyon and Besiktas but the opening round win against Lech Poznan means their fate remains very much in their hands.
Of greater concern at the moment is the league form and under pressure Pierre Sage was no doubt looking for the kind of performance that might build up some momentum ahead of Sunday's clash with the Reds at Selhurst Park.
Judging by the lengthy queues to get into the ground just before kick off, plenty of Eagles fans will probably have missed the German side's seventh minute opener. It is unlikely midweek 5.45pm kick offs will be a vote winner among the paying public.
A perfectly judged pass in from the right from Tim Limperle was met on the half-volley by Alexander Prass and Dean Henderson allowed it to squirm under him and over the line.
It almost got worse before it could get better. Henderson redeemed himself with a super flying save to beat away a shot from former Leicester City striker Andrej Kramaric and that was after Fisnik Asllani rolled a shot just wide. The visitors, who have never won a tie in England, were tidy and patient in possession.
Hints of better moments for the Eagles came in the shape of Yeremy Pino finding Daichi Kamada in the box for a ball poked just wide of the far post and then Jean-Philippe Mateta tested keeper Oliver Baumann with a header and a powerful shot inside the area.
Palace though were too slow and deliberate in much of what they did after the break and they gave the ball away too easily.
Frustration grew in the stands and on the pitch. Yellow cards were brandished. Unfortunately for Palace, two were waved at Wharton- the second for an arm raised into the face of Wouter Burger on 77 minutes and the task of salvaging something from the game became that much more difficult.
But there was to be a welcome late twist as Kamada got on the end of Tyrick Mitchell's header across goal to save the day.
Eagles: (3-4-3) Henderson - Canvot, Richards, Ahanor (McNeil 75) - Khalail (Mingueza 55), Wharton, Timber (Nketiah 55), Mitchell - Kamada, Mateta (Osorio 75), Pino
Die Kraichgauer : (4-4-2) Baumann - Abraha, Kabak, Machida, Rots - Kramaric, Burger (Fields 87), Avdullahu, Prass (Bernardo 76) - Asllani (Lenz 76), Limperle (Daghim 70)
Attendance: 18,741
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