- 1 Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznań: 11 goals conceded in four league games as the Polish runners-up head to Selhurst Park
- 2 Crystal Palace: three points from four games and a defence leaking everywhere
- 3 Lech Poznań: 19 goals in their last five and second place in Ekstraklasa
- 4 Europa League prediction Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznań
- 5 First, a word on our free tips
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling comes first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznań: 11 goals conceded in four league games as the Polish runners-up head to Selhurst Park 
Crystal Palace have shipped 11 goals across their first four Premier League matches. They sit 16th with three points, thanks to one win and three defeats.
It is a grim start, and it jars with their European standing. Winners of the 2026 Conference League by a 1-0 scoreline in the final, the Eagles are back in Europe through the front door this season in the Europa League.
Kick-off is set for Thursday, 17 September at 9:00pm at Selhurst Park. The draw handed the London side the reigning Polish champions.
Lech Poznań are second in Ekstraklasa with 16 points from seven games. They have won four of their last five matches, scoring 19 and conceding five in that run.
On paper, the Premier League side should still hold the edge. In reality, the current form lines point the other way. One team is winning almost every week, the other is leaking close to three goals a game.
That makes this opening fixture all the more important, especially with only eight direct qualification spots available in the 36-team format. Palace need points fast or this turns into a scrap to catch up.
In the single 36-team table, the top eight qualify directly. Clubs finishing ninth to 24th go into a play-off in February.
After this, Crystal Palace travel to Lyon for matchday two. Lech Poznań host Bayer Leverkusen, so both sides are thrown into serious tests from the off.
Crystal Palace: three points from four games and a defence leaking everywhere 
Three points from four Premier League games leaves Crystal Palace 16th. Six goals scored, 11 conceded, goal difference minus five.
Last weekend summed up the mess they are in right now. Leading Ipswich at Selhurst Park, the Eagles still ended up losing 3-2, with Zian Flemming striking in the 90th minute.
That defeat stings even more because Palace had a man advantage after Axel Disasi was sent off in the first half. Blowing a game from there says plenty about the mood in the camp.
The three games before that only underlined the inconsistency. A 2-0 loss at Everton on 22 August, a 4-1 hammering by Manchester City on 28 August, then a 3-2 win at Fulham on 5 September, which remains their only bright spot so far.
The injury list is not helping matters. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaïla Sarr, Chadi Riad, Ben Chilwell and Honest Ahanor are all expected to miss out, which takes a chunk out of the attack and the back line.
The 2026 European title opened a new chapter for the club. But their return to continental football comes with an ugly league position hanging over it.
The goals conceded tell a story of inconsistency rather than a single catastrophic failure. Four against Manchester City, two at Everton, two at Fulham, three against Ipswich: they have not kept a clean sheet since the season started.
Squad depth is now a major issue for Thursday. With five absentees, the usual juggling act between league and Europe becomes a lot harder to manage.
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Lech Poznań: 19 goals in their last five and second place in Ekstraklasa 
Lech Poznań have 16 points after seven Ekstraklasa matches. The defending champions are second in the Polish top flight.
Their recent attack tells you why they are in such good nick. Nineteen goals scored and five conceded across the last five matches, with four wins in that stretch.
The last two results show the kind of consistency they have had against strong opposition. A 2-1 win over Jagiellonia Białystok on 3 September, then another 2-1 victory over Górnik Zabrze on 12 September.
The trip on 30 August had already shown they can score on the road too, with a 3-2 win at Widzew Łódź. The attack travels just fine.
The absentee list is still a concern for the trip to London. Antoni Kozubal, Daniel Håkans, Leo Bengtsson, Kamil Jakóbczyk, Ali Gholizadeh and Alex Douglas are all out injured.
Being Polish champions means they are used to high-pressure games. Last season ended with the domestic title after a full campaign.
What stands out in this run is the quality of the opposition they have beaten. Jagiellonia Białystok and Górnik Zabrze are hardly pushovers in Ekstraklasa.
Even so, going to Palace is a step up. Six injury absentees limit the rotation options for a side trying to balance league and European duty.
Crystal Palace predicted lineup: Not available at time of publication.
Lech Poznań predicted lineup: Not available at time of publication.
Europa League prediction Crystal Palace vs Lech Poznań
Our prediction: Both teams to score
11 goals conceded in four Premier League games: Crystal Palace have not kept a clean sheet all season. Against a Lech Poznań side that has scored 19 in its last five matches, that weakness becomes the key angle.
Palace have scored in three of their four league games and now face an opponent who has also conceded five in the same stretch. The London injuries are real, but Selhurst Park is still a place where the Eagles create chances.
Both teams should score here. An English defence that has yet to shut anyone out this season and a Polish attack in top gear make this the clearest call on matchday one.
The only real counter-argument would be a deliberate Polish shutdown at Selhurst Park. A side scoring close to four goals a game over its last five is not arriving with that mindset.
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