Crystal Palace stand on the verge of history tonight as they welcome Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar to Selhurst Park, with a maiden European last-16 spot within their grasp.
The Eagles enter the second leg of this Conference League knockout round play-off following a frustrating 1–1 draw in Bosnia-Herzegovina last week. Despite dominating possession, Oliver Glasner’s men were pegged back in the second half, leaving the tie finely poised. However, confidence in south London has been bolstered by a gritty 1–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, a result that moved Palace 10 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Zrinjski Mostar, meanwhile, arrive in London as underdogs but carry the momentum of a dogged first-leg performance. Igor Štimac’s side has already made history by reaching this stage, but they face a significant hurdle at Selhurst Park, given their record of losing all six of their Conference League away matches this season without scoring a single goal. With the aggregate score level, the “Nobles” are purely focused on claiming a statement victory to extend their groundbreaking European journey.
Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski Mostar – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 26 February 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Selhurst Park, London
- Referee: Luis Godinho (POR)
- VAR: André Narciso (POR)
- Last Meeting: Zrinjski Mostar 1–1 Crystal Palace (19 Feb 2026), Conference League
Team News
Crystal Palace
Manager Oliver Glasner faces a late decision on defender Maxence Lacroix, who trained on Wednesday but remains a “small question mark” due to an adductor injury. The Eagles are definitely without Cheick Doucouré, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jefferson Lerma, and Eddie Nketiah, with the latter expected to remain sidelined until April. Christantus Uche is ineligible for the competition.
Zrinjski Mostar
The visitors are missing veteran defender Toni Šunjić due to a long-term knee injury. Top scorer Nemanja Bilbija is also a major doubt, having missed the last five games with an unspecified issue. Additionally, Antonio Ilić, Darick Kobie Morris, and Toma Palić are all ineligible after being omitted from the club’s European squad.
Form
Crystal Palace
The Eagles arrive following a vital 1–0 win over Wolves on Sunday, which followed their 1–1 stalemate in the first leg against Zrinjski. Notably, Palace have now scored in eight consecutive matches across all competitions. While their overall home record has been testing—with just one win in their last 10 at Selhurst Park—they have lost only one of their four home European fixtures this season. They enter this tie on a two-match unbeaten run.
Zrinjski Mostar
The Bosnian side has struggled for momentum recently, heading into Thursday on a three-match winless run. Their last domestic outing resulted in a 1–1 draw with NK Široki Brijeg, which followed a heavy 3–0 defeat to title rivals Borac Banja Luka. Notably, Zrinjski have conceded goals in three consecutive games and have managed just one draw in their last 13 away matches. However, they remain a resilient outfit, having lost only one of their last seven games.
Predicted Lineups
Crystal Palace Predicted XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Riad; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Johnson, Sarr; Strand Larsen
Zrinjski Mostar Predicted XI: Karacic; Vranjkovic, Barisic, Dujmovic, Savic, Mamic; Ivancic, Durasek; Abramovic, Cuze, Mikic
How to Watch Crystal Palace vs Zrinjski Mostar?
The match will be televised live in the UK on TNT Sports 3. Coverage begins at 19:30 GMT ahead of the 20:00 kick-off.
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