A late, late strike from Daichi Kamada saved Crystal Palace from embarrassment and another round of navel gazing as they snatched a Europa League draw with Hoffenheim against the odds. After being outplayed by a side currently in the bottom half of the Bundesliga, and a goal down from the seventh minute, Palace looked to have lost all hope in this fixture when Adam Wharton was dismissed with 13 minutes to go. But after Hoffenheim failed to clear a goalmouth scramble in added time, Kamada fired home under the keeper to generate a rare moment of elation at Selhurst Park this season.
After the match, the beleaguered Pierre Sage struggled to put a positive gloss on events. Asked if he thought his team had deserved their point, he said it “depended on the moment of the game”, and while he had praise for his side’s attitude he was critical of their tactical performance. When we try to attack a little bit we are very quickly open.” To be fair to Sage, this was an accurate call.
Palace were in the match throughout without ever dominating, and Hoffenheim created the best chances in the game without ever having to try too hard. Sitting in 20th place in the Europa League, Palace have work to do in this competition, offering no respite from their Premier League travails as they prepare for a visit from Liverpool on Sunday. With a tea-time kick-off on Bonfire Night, a family-friendly crowd might have had a right to expect fireworks.
Palace set off with intensity but were sloppy too and coughed up an easy opening goal in the game’s early knockings. Wharton gave possession away cheaply about 20 yards from the Hoffenheim goal. There were perhaps just three touches before the ball reached Tim Lemperle wide right, who whipped the ball first time to the advancing Alexander Prass.
The winger’s shot was equally immediate and caught Dean Henderson cold, his save too slow, and the ball squirmed through his midriff before rolling over the line. The Palace support did not moan and got on with backing their side. Sadly the team on the pitch did not respond in desired fashion and Hoffenheim should have scored again through a Andrej Kramaric volley in the 23rd minute, well saved by Henderson on this occasion, before Palace started to work their way into the game.
Yéremy Pino was the focus of the home side’s hopes and he was both Palace’s brightest spark and their greatest frustration. He could find the gaps that no one else could but his delivery was either inaccurate or overcomplicated. He did at least find the right weight on a through ball to Kamada on the half hour, only for his fellow No 10 in Sage’s system to pull a cross-shot beyond Oliver Baumann’s far post.
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