AEK Larnaca – Crystal Palace

The English club will beat AEK Larnaca on its third attempt.

Before the start of the Conference League group stage, no one could have imagined that the clash between AEK Larnaca and Crystal Palace would become the most intriguing and principled matchup in the current edition of the tournament. It would seem that here is the Cypriot club, which has never won a championship title and has a squad valued at 14 million euros, and there is a London-based side with a squad value of 541 million euros and a gigantic transfer budget? However, neither of the two previous meetings between AEK Larnaca and Crystal Palace ended in favor of the favorite. Moreover, both were held in London. In the group stage, Crystal Palace could be chosen as the winner against the guests from Cyprus with odds of 1.21. However, the club from Larnaca not only played with dignity but also left the stadium with the stunned hosts with full three points. In the 51st minute of that match, Riad Bayich scored the only goal, taking advantage of a pass from Swedish veteran Marcus Rohden. The first leg of the playoff tie last week was played by the 'Glassmakers' with full commitment and a good mood for victory. However Oliver Glasner's charges could not extract any dividends from 71% possession and the advantage in shots of 13-2. A goalless draw leaves both teams with good chances of ultimate success, so in Cyprus a very interesting determination of the worthy one is expected. Bookmakers again named the English players as favorites, offering odds of 1.59 on their victory. Crystal Palace is indeed motivated to succeed in European competitions, and thus to defeat AEK Larnaca. However, breaking through the Cypriot team's defensive wall on two attempts did not work. The reason is not even that in the last six months the London club has sold almost all of its leaders. It's simply that the opponent effectively organizes a defense. The upcoming match will be Crystal Palace's last for the next 3.5 weeks, so there can be no talk of conserving energy. AEK Larnaca sits second in the Cypriot Championship with no signs of competing for the title. Let's bet that on the third attempt Crystal Palace's players' class will play a decisive role.