Premier League European Recap: Palace Stunned, Forest Revived, Villa Upset

Crystal Palace 0-1 AEK Larnaca: European Debut Derailed at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace’s long-awaited first home fixture in a major European competition ended in disappointment as AEK Larnaca clinched a shock 1-0 win at Selhurst Park.

Jean-Philippe Mateta, fresh from his weekend hat-trick, endured a frustrating evening, missing a golden early chance when he scuffed a volley onto the bar after a fumble by Zlatan Alomerović. Without Adam Wharton’s creativity, Palace struggled to break down Larnaca’s compact defence, and even centre-back Jaydee Canvot resorted to a speculative long-range strike.

After the interval, Will Hughes’ precise corner found Maxence Lacroix, but the defender’s close-range header narrowly missed the target. Moments later, a defensive lapse from Palace allowed Riad Bajić to capitalise, rifling the ball into Dean Henderson’s roofed net to give Larnaca the lead.

Oliver Glasner responded by introducing Eddie Nketiah, who created several opportunities, including a pinpoint cutback for Mateta that was brilliantly saved by Alomerović. Despite relentless pressure and a string of wasted chances, including Nketiah’s miscue in the closing stages, Palace couldn’t find an equaliser.

The defeat marked the Eagles’ first home loss since February, while Larnaca celebrated their first-ever away win in European competition—an impressive feat against one of the tournament’s favourites.

Nottingham Forest 2-0 Porto: Dyche Era Begins in Style

Sean Dyche’s tenure at Nottingham Forest began with a statement 2-0 win over Porto, ending the club’s 10-match winless streak and securing their first European victory since 1995.

Forest started brightly, with Elliot Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi testing Diogo Costa early on. Their dominance paid off when Jan Bednarek handled Douglas Luiz’s cross, leading to a 19th-minute penalty confidently dispatched by Morgan Gibbs-White.

Matz Sels produced a fine save to deny Alan Varela before half-time, while Igor Jesus received a booking that rules him out of the next fixture. Bednarek’s misery continued after the break as his equaliser was ruled out for offside, and Porto failed to find any rhythm despite multiple substitutions.

Forest doubled their lead late on when Nicolò Savona was fouled in the area and Igor Jesus coolly converted the spot-kick. The hosts held firm to preserve a clean sheet and end Porto’s 12-match unbeaten run, capping a perfect start to Dyche’s European campaign.

Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 Aston Villa: Dutch Debutants Stun the Favourites

Aston Villa suffered a stunning 2-1 defeat in Deventer as Go Ahead Eagles claimed a famous victory in their first-ever European clash with English opposition.

Villa started in control, taking an early lead when Jadon Sancho’s cross was fumbled by goalkeeper Jari De Busser, allowing Evann Guessand to scramble the ball home. Sancho continued to threaten, setting up Emi Buendía for a chance that De Busser saved well.

Despite Villa’s dominance, the hosts equalised on the stroke of half-time when Mathis Suray’s deflected strike looped beyond Emiliano Martínez. Against the run of play, the Eagles then took the lead in the second half through a superb move—centre-back Joris Kramer’s 40-yard pass found Mats Deijl, who lobbed Martínez with composure.

Unai Emery’s quadruple substitution failed to change the outcome. Buendía missed a golden opportunity from the penalty spot, blasting over after a handball by Dean James, while Morgan Rogers curled an effort agonisingly wide in the final minutes.

The result ended Villa’s five-match winning streak and denied them back-to-back away European victories for the first time since 2008. For Go Ahead Eagles, it was a historic triumph that sent shockwaves across the continent.