Crystal Palace advanced to the FA Cup Final for the first time in 9 years! shine under Glasner

Apr 27, 2025

[London (UK) = Egan Sports Chosun.COM reporter] Crystal Palace defeated Aston Villa and advanced to the FA Cup final for the first time in nine years.

Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 3-0 in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley Stadium in London on the afternoon of the 26th (local time). I scored the first goal in the 31st minute of the first half. In the second half, Sarr scored two goals.

It was a game where the team's color, which has changed noticeably since Oliver Glasner's appointment, shone. Palace had only 30% ball possession in the match, but played cool and efficient football. Villa had a 70% possession and poured in 16 shots, but the expected score (xG) level was only 0.99. Palace broke down their opponents with a strong defensive organization and a quick counterattack.

From the beginning of the game, Aston Villa led the game based on possession. However, Palace formed a solid block and calmly blocked the opponent's attack. In particular, the central defense's concentration was outstanding. Villa created a shot opportunity, but were blocked by Palace's defensive wall and barely made an effective shot.

Palace broke the balance by scoring the first goal in the 31st minute of the first half. The striker, who penetrated the loopholes of Villa's defense in a quick counterattack, shook the net with an accurate shot. Villa's subsequent counterattack was also canceled due to the Palace defense's calm response. On the contrary, Palace scored two more goals to ensure the match was decided.

After the game, Oliver Glasner gave the players credit. He "It's easy to say, but it's a hard thing to do. All credit has to go to the players." He then praised the team's mental strength, saying, "Today, there were scenes to overcome, such as penalty kick situations, but we didn't lose our coolness."

In fact, Palace faced several crises during the game but remained calm until the end. Organizational pressure and quick transition play clearly revealed Glasner's color. He "Today we always kept our plans, and we were rewarded in the end. It was an amazing performance."

When asked about advancing to the finals, Glasner said "I don't want to talk about the finals today. We approach with the goal of winning every game." He said he plans to give players a break for the time being and start preparing again from Thursday.

For Palace, the win means more than just a place in the final. Since Glasner took over as manager in the middle of the season, the team has shown a clear change. Organizational power, pressure, and crisis management skills have also improved significantly in the short term. The game was a stage that showed that the change had entered the stage of completion.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.