Report & Highlights: Palace fall to Freiburg defeat

Summary:

• Henderson returns between the posts, while McNeil makes his unofficial Palace debut.
• 11: Wharton’s effort deflects wide, before a series of pinball-like scrambles ensue.
• 25: Possession is shared as both sides probe the other.
• 37: Makengo’s tame effort is comfortably gathered by Henderson.
• 43: Eggestein fires the wrong side of the post.
• 45: Palace stand firm against late Freiburg pressure.
• Half-time: Freiburg 0-0 Palace
• 48: Strand Larsen’s flick is deflected behind.
• 49: Strand Larsen’s header drifts just wide of the far post.
• 53: Henderson repeatedly denies Freiburg’s attacks.
• 55 – Goal:  Yannick Engelhardt gives SC Freiburg the lead.
• 60: Guessand is introduced from the bench.
• 66 – Goal: Holer doubles Freiburg’s lead.
• 73: Guessand forces the turnover, but the ball doesn’t sit up for the strike away.
• 83: Nketiah’s clever dink is denied by a finger-tip save.
• 87: Kamada’s inswiging corner ensues pinball and nobody can force the ball home.
• Full-time: Freiburg 2-0 Palace

Off the back of a 2-1 comeback victory over Fulham, pre-season culminated with a trip to South-West Germany to take on Europa League finalists SC Freiburg.

Captain Dean Henderson returned between the posts for his first appearance of pre-season, while new signing Dwight McNeil made his unofficial Palace debut. Fellow new arrival Evann Guessand, who re-joined earlier this week, was among the initial substitutes.

Freiburg began the brighter of the two sides, with Henderson called into a routine save early on.

The hosts then appealed for a penalty when Chadi Riad bundled over Niklas Beste as he drove into the box from the right, but the Palace defender was adjudged to have made a fair challenge.

Palace soon grew into the contest, building pressure through a succession of dangerous inswinging corners. Wharton saw an effort deflected wide before a series of pinball-like scrambles in the Freiburg box failed to fall kindly for a black shirt.

Possession was evenly matched as both sides frustrated the other, but the game struggled to find its rhythm and had the feel of a pre-season friendly by the time of the first hydration break.

The Eagles returned to the contest with greater purpose, moving the ball well as their line-breaking passes repeatedly threatened to unlock a resolute Freiburg backline, though the final ball continued to elude them.

As half-time drew closer, the tempo dropped. Palace continued to enjoy territorial dominance and plenty of possession, yet couldn't find a way through the Breisgau-Brasilianer.

Freiburg remained dangerous whenever they forced a turnover, with one such opportunity creating a three-on-three situation. Fortunately, Jordy Makengo’s resulting effort from the right channel lacked the power to trouble Henderson.

Palace responded with a swift counter-attack at the other end, but Ismaïla Sarr’s effort from just outside the penalty area was charged down.

Henderson was then called into another routine diving stop before Freiburg worked the ball across to captain Maximilian Eggestein on the left side of the area, only for him to fire narrowly wide of the near post.

Palace stood firm through a late spell of Freiburg pressure and headed into the interval goalless.

Palace emerged for the second half with renewed attacking intent, immediately putting Freiburg under pressure. Tyrick Mitchell’s arrowed ball into the box found Jørgen Strand Larsen, whose instinctive flick was deflected behind.

Oscar Mingueza took the resulting corner short to Mitchell, who picked out Strand Larsen at the back post, but his rising header drifted just wide of the far post.

The pendulum soon swung back in favour of the hosts as Freiburg launched wave after wave of attacks, only to be repeatedly repelled by Henderson.

Unfortunately, the pressure eventually told. The Palace captain made an excellent one-on-one save to deny Yuito Suzuki, only for Yannick Engelhardt to react quickest to the loose ball and stab it into the empty net from close range in the 56th minute.

On the hour mark, Pierre Sage began his pre-planned changes, with returning forward Guessand among those introduced. Freiburg struck again just a few minutes later, though, as Lucas Höler doubled the hosts’ lead.

The second goal did little to stem the visitors’ attacking intent, with an alert Guessand winning possession just outside the area, only for the ball not to sit up for the returning forward to get a clean strike away.

There were changes aplenty across the pitch as Palace entered the final third, but the Eagles continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession.

Indeed, the substitutions were primarily aimed at ensuring the squad got valuable minutes ahead of next week’s Premier League opener against Everton.

However, there remained plenty of attacking quality on the pitch. Eddie Nketiah, Matheus França and Daniel Muñoz were all capable of inspiring a late comeback.

That pressure began to tell as França drove down the left channel and flashed a dangerous low delivery across the face of goal, but a sliding clearance denied the onrushing Guessand a tap-in.

Moments later, Nketiah’s clever dink almost caught the ‘keeper off guard, but he recovered in time to dive across and tip the effort around the post.

The Eagles came agonisingly close to forcing a nervy finish when Daichi Kamada’s inswinging corner sparked a pinball-like scramble in the box, but nobody in black could find the finish to force the ball home.

A succession of shots and dangerous crosses followed, but Freiburg held firm until the final whistle.

It was a much-improved final third from Palace, who perhaps deserved a reward for their late pressure, but Sage’s side ultimately fell to defeat in their final pre-season outing...

Palace XI: Henderson (GK) (Benitez, 60); Riad (Tomiyasu, 60), Richards, Canvot; Mitchell, Wharton (Hughes, 60), Kamada, Mingueza (Munoz, 77); McNeil (Nketiah, 77), Strand Larsen (Guessand, 60), Sarr (Franca, 77).

Subs not used: Sosa, Doucoure, Matthews, Whitworth, Ozoh, Benamar, Devenny.