Crystal Palace Under-21s face German side Borussia Mönchengladbach in a must-win Premier League International Cup clash on Wednesday (21st January, 19:00 GMT) at Sutton’s VBS Community Stadium.
The match will be streamed live on Palace TV+ on Wednesday evening (19th January, 19:00 GMT) – click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
Can’t watch live? Follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction available shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights will also be available on Palace TV+.
Palace’s European ambitions extend beyond the first team this season, with the Under-21s testing themselves against elite opposition from across the continent in the Premier League International Cup. With Group B reaching its conclusion, Wednesday’s fixture will determine the young Eagles’ fate in the competition.
Every side in the group has completed their four matches except Palace and Mönchengladbach, meaning the final qualification picture will be decided under the lights in Sutton.
Valencia currently sit on nine points from four games, while Gladbach also have nine points but with one match still to play.
Darren Powell’s side know that only a victory will give them a chance of progressing to the knockout stages, with goal difference likely to play a decisive role. Anything less than a win would bring Palace’s International Cup journey to an end, and a victory by two goals or more would significantly boost their qualification hopes.
Palace opened their campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Valencia, before responding superbly with a statement 3-1 victory over Juventus.
Powell’s side were electric in that contest, racing into a commanding first-half lead. Adler Nascimento broke the deadlock after 11 minutes with a cushioned volley from a tight angle, Seb Williams doubled the advantage with a crisp half-volley into the near corner, and Benji Casey capped off a dominant opening period with his first goal for the club.
Although Juventus pulled one back late on, Palace held their nerve – helped by a brilliant goal-line block from George King – to secure a deserved win.
The young Eagles then followed that up with a thrilling 3-2 victory over FC Nordsjælland to keep qualification hopes alive.
Dylan Reid opened the scoring with a stunning follow-up after his free-kick was blocked, before Casey doubled the lead by lifting the ball over the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. Reid added a third from the penalty spot midway through the second half.
Despite late goals from the Danish side, including a stoppage-time strike from Hjalte Rasmussen, Palace showed resilience to see out the win.
As mentioned above, Mönchengladbach arrive in south London top of Group B, level on nine points with Valencia but still with their final fixture to play. The German side have edged past both West Brom and Leicester City by 3-2 scorelines, before recording a comfortable 2-0 victory over Fulham.
Wednesday’s meeting brings the curtain down on Palace’s group-stage campaign – but, with the right result, not their journey in the competition.
Crystal Palace Under-21s v Borussia Monchengladbach Under-21s
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