The first leg of the 2025/26 Europa Conference League qualifier between Crystal Palace (England) and Fredrikstad (Norway) will take place on August 21 at Selhurst Park in London. Crystal Palace vs. Fredrikstad: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Crystal Palace
Last season, the team won the FA Cup for the first time in its history, earning a spot in the Europa League. However, UEFA prohibited Oliver Glasner's side from participating in that tournament because the club's owner still holds shares in Lyon, which also qualified for the same European competition. Nevertheless, Crystal Palace will make its debut in continental tournaments by playing in the Europa Conference League. It's also noteworthy that the Londoners recently won the FA Community Shield, defeating Liverpool in the final (2-2, 3-2 on penalties).
- The team is unbeaten in regular time in 10 consecutive official matches (4 wins and 6 draws).
- No more than 3 goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 6 of Crystal Palace's last 8 official games.
- At home, the Londoners have a 7-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League and FA Cup (5 wins and 2 draws).
Predicted lineup for Crystal Palace (5-3-2)
Dean Henderson – Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Munoz, Marc Guehi – Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze – Ismaila Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Fredrikstad
The Norwegians have been absent from European competitions since 2009. This season, the club returned to the international stage by winning the national cup. The team started its journey from the third qualifying round of the Europa League but lost both legs to Denmark's Midtjylland (0-2 and 1-3). Following this defeat, Fredrikstad dropped into the Europa Conference League.
- The club has only 2 wins in their last 14 official matches (4 draws and 8 losses).
- Away from home, Fredrikstad has a 7-match winless streak at the official level (3 draws and 4 losses).
Predicted lineup for Fredrikstad (3-5-2)
Martin Borsheim – Maxwell Woledzi, Ulrik Fredriksen, Solomon Owusu – Stian Molde, Oscar Ehlenshleger, Patrick Metcalfe, Simen Rafn, Leonard Owusu – Joannes Bjartalid, Henrik Skogvold.
Referee
Anastasios Papapetrou (Greece)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 39;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.9;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 13%.
Match Prediction: Crystal Palace vs. Fredrikstad
This encounter features teams lacking experience in European competitions. The Norwegians have played only two continental matches in the last 15 years, losing both. It seems likely they will lose again, as they face a Premier League representative in excellent form.
Last season, the Londoners won a major trophy for the first time in their history – the FA Cup. But the team didn't stop there, securing the Community Shield in August. In both matches, Oliver Glasner's side defeated top English teams – Manchester City and Liverpool. Crystal Palace also started well in the Premier League, drawing with the Club World Cup winners Chelsea (0-0). All these opponents are much stronger than Fredrikstad.
My prediction: Crystal Palace with a handicap (-2.5)
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match.
