Crystal Palace F.C. - Season 2024/25 End of the season report - A season to remember
Premier League
We ended the last update in decent form, and I'm pleased to report that it continued. Winning our next three PL games essentially secured us the 5th position, which is highly likely to guarantee a UCL qualification spot. Due to fixture congestion and some bad luck, we couldn't secure wins in the following three matches. However, we managed to regain our momentum and finished the season with three consecutive victories in the league.
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Spurs ended the season with couple of bad results, so we actually managed to get enough points for top 4 finish!
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Europa League
As mentioned, we progressed to the knockout stage after winning the League Phase with a record of 7-1-0, with the only draw coming against AC Milan, a team considered European giants due to their history in the UCL.
While we maintained strong form domestically, we were surprised in France as Rennes defeated us 2-0 in the first leg of our R16 match-up. Considering the expected goals, a 1-2 scoreline would have been a fairer result, so I wasn't overly concerned about the outcome. As anticipated, we delivered a decisive 4-0 victory when Rennes visited Selhurst Park, with their former player Adrien Truffert dealing the final blow.
The quarter-finals pitted us against Ajax. Starting at Selhurst Park, we took an early 2-0 lead within 8 minutes, putting us in a strong position to advance further in the European journey. We scored another goal in our home game and left the Johan Cruyff Arena with a 2-0 victory firmly secured. Over the matchup we were clearly the better side and quite dominantly so.
In the semi-finals, we faced Athletic Bilbao at their San Mamés stadium, where the eventual UEL final would take place. Our initial match in Basque country concluded in a relatively uneventful 1-1 draw. Despite dominant performances earlier in the tournament, I briefly wondered if we had finally met our match. However, Selhurst Park once again proved to be the difference-maker as we secured a 3-1 victory in our home game. While Athletic proved to be a formidable opponent, but when you deliver an xG of over 4.0 in the decisive match, more often than not you come out on top.
By this point, we had already secured a top 4 finish in the PL and a UCL spot. However, winning trophies is much more fun and exciting than becoming 4th, so in my mind we had all to play for. In the final, we faced AC Milan, the only team we had faced and not beaten on our path to the final.
We didn't have the best start to the final, with AC Milan scoring via a deflected shot from outside the box. We maintained control of the game, so I wasn't overly concerned with that. The match clock was ticking fast, and it took almost an hour of football when substitute Marcos Leonardo finally equalized from inside the box. Feeling the game was within our grasp, I maintained an attacking tactic. Just as it seemed we might be headed to overtime, one of our original players, Michael Olise, had other plans, executing a stunning finesse shot to the upper benjamins in the 92nd minute, securing us a 2-1 victory and the UEL trophy!
Crystal Palace F.C. the winners of the major European Trophy!!!
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Premier League
We ended the last update in decent form, and I'm pleased to report that it continued. Winning our next three PL games essentially secured us the 5th position, which is highly likely to guarantee a UCL qualification spot. Due to fixture congestion and some bad luck, we couldn't secure wins in the following three matches. However, we managed to regain our momentum and finished the season with three consecutive victories in the league.

Spurs ended the season with couple of bad results, so we actually managed to get enough points for top 4 finish!

Europa League
As mentioned, we progressed to the knockout stage after winning the League Phase with a record of 7-1-0, with the only draw coming against AC Milan, a team considered European giants due to their history in the UCL.
While we maintained strong form domestically, we were surprised in France as Rennes defeated us 2-0 in the first leg of our R16 match-up. Considering the expected goals, a 1-2 scoreline would have been a fairer result, so I wasn't overly concerned about the outcome. As anticipated, we delivered a decisive 4-0 victory when Rennes visited Selhurst Park, with their former player Adrien Truffert dealing the final blow.
The quarter-finals pitted us against Ajax. Starting at Selhurst Park, we took an early 2-0 lead within 8 minutes, putting us in a strong position to advance further in the European journey. We scored another goal in our home game and left the Johan Cruyff Arena with a 2-0 victory firmly secured. Over the matchup we were clearly the better side and quite dominantly so.
In the semi-finals, we faced Athletic Bilbao at their San Mamés stadium, where the eventual UEL final would take place. Our initial match in Basque country concluded in a relatively uneventful 1-1 draw. Despite dominant performances earlier in the tournament, I briefly wondered if we had finally met our match. However, Selhurst Park once again proved to be the difference-maker as we secured a 3-1 victory in our home game. While Athletic proved to be a formidable opponent, but when you deliver an xG of over 4.0 in the decisive match, more often than not you come out on top.
By this point, we had already secured a top 4 finish in the PL and a UCL spot. However, winning trophies is much more fun and exciting than becoming 4th, so in my mind we had all to play for. In the final, we faced AC Milan, the only team we had faced and not beaten on our path to the final.
We didn't have the best start to the final, with AC Milan scoring via a deflected shot from outside the box. We maintained control of the game, so I wasn't overly concerned with that. The match clock was ticking fast, and it took almost an hour of football when substitute Marcos Leonardo finally equalized from inside the box. Feeling the game was within our grasp, I maintained an attacking tactic. Just as it seemed we might be headed to overtime, one of our original players, Michael Olise, had other plans, executing a stunning finesse shot to the upper benjamins in the 92nd minute, securing us a 2-1 victory and the UEL trophy!
Crystal Palace F.C. the winners of the major European Trophy!!!

