Report & Highlights: Palace reach PL International Cup Final after Valencia shoot-out

Summary

• David Omilabu came in for Matty Vigor in the only change to the side

• Fionn Mooney caused a lot of problems early on, heading just wide and forcing saves

• Jadan Raymond opened the scoring for Palace in the 20th minute

• Tayo Adaramola saw an effort blocked near the goalline just five minutes later

• David Omilabu hit the post with a curling effort 10 minutes before the break

• Valencia enjoyed a spell of possession at the end of the half, but didn’t threaten

• Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Valencia

• Mooney saw a smart free-kick saved by the ‘keeper early on

• Mooney and Trialist went close near the hour-mark

• Pablo Gozálbez equalised for Valencia in the 67th minute

• Neither side could find a  breakthrough in the final 20 minutes

• Full-time: Crystal Palace 1-1 Valencia

• Gozálbez saw an effort tipped behind by an excellent Owen Goodman save

• Half-time in extra-time: Crystal Palace 1-1 Valencia

• Rodridgo Rodrigues fired wide from inside the box after the ball fell kindly for him

• After extra-time: Crystal Palace 1-1 Valencia

• Penalties: Crystal Palace 5-3 Valencia

• Goodman saved Jose Luis Perez’s penalty and Trialist scored the decisive penalty to win the game

• Palace progress to the Premier League International Cup final

Following on from their defeat to Blackburn Rovers just five days earlier, Crystal Palace Under-21s faced Valencia Mestalla at Selhurst Park in the Premier League International Cup semi-final.

Manager Darren Powell made a single change to the side, with David Omilabu coming in for Matty Vigor. Under-18s prospects Dylan Reid, Adler Nascimento and Franco Umeh were all named on the bench.

Palace started the half well and were in complete control. Fionn Mooney was at the focal point of the Eagles’ efforts - he headed narrowly wide with the first chance of the game and then saw a free-kick saved all within the opening 10 minutes.

Mooney then danced his way into the box, skipping past two challenges, before firing an effort across the face of goal that just glanced wide of the post.

The Eagles made their early pressure count as Jadan Raymond gave them the lead. An excellent cross-field pass from Seán Grehan picked out Trialist on the right hand side and a dangerous ball into the six-yard box found Raymond who couldn’t miss from close range.

It was all Palace after they took the lead. Spurred on by the Selhurst crowd, captain Kofi Balmer went on a surging run forward from the heart of the defence and managed to pick out Mooney - his cross was blocked, but a follow up effort from Tayo Adaramola was cleared just in front of the goalline.

With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Kaden Rodney picked out Omilabu with an excellent outside of the foot pass and the forward curled a left footed strike on goal that bounced back off the post and out.

Valencia enjoyed a spell of possession and created a few half-chances, though they were mostly from distance or easy for the Palace defence and Owen Goodman to deal with.

The second-half started brightly for the south Londoners, Mooney was at the forefront of the attacks and fired a smartly taken free-kick through the wall, only for Charlie Perez in the Valencia goal to turn behind.

Second-half substitute Pablo Gozálbez equalised for Valencia in the 67th minute almost completely against the run of play. He found himself in the right place at the right time after a drilled effort on goal bounced kindly to him to finish from 12-yards out.

That proved to be the decisive chance of the half as the two sides failed to create any major clear-cut opportunities as normal time went on.

With 90 minutes played, 30 minutes of extra-time were on the cards and Valencia came close to getting their noses in front. A long-range effort from Gozálbez was fingertipped away by a diving Goodman to keep Palace in it.

After extra-time, the scores were still level and the game was to be decided by penalties. It was evenly matched until the third penalty taker, Jose Luis Perez, stepped up for Valencia and saw his effort saved by Goodman.

This gave Palace the advantage and Kaden Rodney compounded the lead before Trialist scored the fifth and decisive penalty to send Palace into the final of the Premier League International Cup.

They will face PSV Eindhoven at home in the final, the date and time will be announced in due course on cpfc.co.uk and on our Official Academy Twitter account.

Crystal Palace: Goodman (GK), Trialist, Rodney, Balmer, Grehan, Adaramola (Watson, 105), Ozoh (Vigor, 110), Raymond, Mooney (Umeh, 72), Akinwale (Reid, 105), Omilabu (Nascimento, 90+3).

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Sheridan.

Valencia: Perez (GK), Alemán, Iranzo, Muñoz, Agulló (Gozálbez, 60), Soler (Navarro, 90), Gómez, Tejón (García, 105), Santana (Perez, 60), Rodrigues, Inoussa (Maia, 77).

Subs not used: Bernad (GK), Tárega.