Zrinjski Mostar 1-1 Crystal Palace: Ismaila Sarr’s goal cancelled out by Karlo Abramovic to keep tie even
Crystal Palace were perhaps guilty of relaxing, losing their focus, acting like the game was over when in fact it was not, and Karlo Abramovic’s soft strike rolled into the net to cancel out Ismaila Sarr’s first-half opener.
To be clear, this was a Premier League team against a side from Bosnia and Herzegovina and more was expected. Zrinjski Mostar had an overall 29% share of the ball in terms of possession and Palace should have made their dominance count.
They were perhaps guilty of creating very little, and in fact it was Zrinjski who kicked off the game with a glorious chance inside the box that Antonio Ivancic skied high.
There was something akin to a sigh of relief after Palace went in front. This could be done. January signing Jorgen Strand-Larsen laid the ball off for Sarr and the Senegal international curled it past Goran Karacic and into the bottom right corner. Oliver Glasner went wild in celebration.
It was one of a few good moments in front of goal for Palace, but if fans expected it to be a tonic for their side, to shake them out of torpor, they were sorely disappointed.
After Adam Wharton gave the ball away cheaply in midfield Zrinjski went on a counterattack. Abramovic crept through on the right, firing low past a statuesque Dean Henderson
