Crystal Palace begin their first-ever Europa League campaign on Thursday night when they welcome Lech Poznan to Selhurst Park.

The Eagles earned their place in Europe’s second-tier competition after winning the Conference League last season, but they have endured a difficult start to the new Premier League campaign.

Palace have taken three points from their opening four league matches and lost 3-2 to Ipswich Town on Saturday, despite fighting back from 2-1 down after Axel Disasi was sent off.

Lech Poznan arrive in London as the Polish champions and have already come through three rounds of Europa League qualifying. They have also scored 12 goals in their opening seven league games.

This should make for an interesting European opener, particularly with Palace looking to make home advantage count under new manager Pierre Sage.

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What are the best picks for Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznan?

Crystal Palace to win & over 2.5 goals

I’m combining the Palace win with over 2.5 goals rather than simply backing the Eagles to take three points.

Palace have scored in each of their last three matches, including three goals against Fulham and three against Middlesbrough, while their defensive problems have been clear during the opening weeks of the season.

Lech have also shown plenty of attacking threat in Europe. They scored 15 goals across their Europa League qualifying ties against KÍ Klaksvík and Thun before progressing to the league phase.

That makes me think this could be more open than a typical Palace home game, and I like Palace to win and over 2.5 goals.

Daichi Kamada 2+ shots on target

Kamada is another player I want to take a chance on in this game, although this is certainly the more aggressive of the two picks.

The Japan international is expected to start behind Jørgen Strand Larsen and should have plenty of opportunities to get into shooting positions if Palace dominate possession. The current predicted line-up has Kamada alongside Yéremi Pino in the two attacking midfield positions.

Kamada has already registered a goal and three assists in his appearances this season, while his creative involvement has made him an important part of Sage’s attacking setup.

I like 2+ shots on target at the right price because it gives us a player-performance angle without simply relying on another goalscorer or assist market.

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Where can I watch Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznan?

Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznan kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday 17 September 2026 at Selhurst Park.

The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, with coverage also available to stream through HBO Max.

What have the managers said?

Pierre Sage:

Palace boss Pierre Sage has challenged his players to show the character required to compete at a higher level in Europe.

Speaking ahead of the game, Sage said:

“If you don’t have character, you cannot reply yes.”

Niels Frederiksen:

Lech Poznan manager Niels Frederiksen believes the Europa League is currently a better fit for his side than the Champions League.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park, Frederiksen said:

“The Europa League at the moment suits Lech better than the Champions League.”

The Lech boss also stressed that his side have made progress compared with last season, when they competed in the Conference League.

What is Crystal Palace’s predicted team?

(3-4-2-1) Benitez; Richards, Disasi, Ahanor; Khalaili, Wharton, Timber, Chilwell; Pino, Kamada; Strand Larsen.

Injured: Dean Henderson, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Chadi Riad, Ismaïla Sarr.

Doubts: Eddie Nketiah.

Sage has hinted that Sarr and Nketiah could both return to the matchday squad, although neither is guaranteed to start.

Axel Disasi is available despite his domestic suspension, meaning Palace should have a more familiar defensive option available in Europe.

What is Lech Poznan’s predicted team?

(4-2-3-1) Lis; Pereira, Skrzypczak, Monka, Gurgul; Murawski, Jagiello; Walemark, Rodriguez, Sayyadmanesh; Ishak.

Injured: Daniel Hakans, Antoni Kozubal, Ali Gholizadeh, Alex Douglas.

Doubts: Kamil Jakobczyk.

Patrik Walemark has been one of Lech’s main attacking threats in Europe, scoring six times during their qualifying campaign. Mikael Ishak is also expected to return to the starting XI after recovering from a recent injury.

Score prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Lech Poznan

Palace have enough quality to make a winning start in front of their home supporters, particularly with Kamada and Strand Larsen offering plenty of attacking threat.

However, their defensive record makes a clean sheet difficult to trust. Lech have been scoring consistently in Europe and should make this a competitive opening night.

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