Crystal Palace have experienced a whirlwind few months, marked by both historic triumph and administrative setback.
On May 17th, the Eagles lifted their first-ever major trophy by defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup Final, a moment of elation for fans who had never before seen their club secure silverware.
The win also seemed to assure Palace a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League, promising a return to European competition.
However, complications soon emerged regarding UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations. Palace’s largest shareholder, John Textor, who owns a significant stake in the club through Eagle Football Holdings , also owns Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1.
Both clubs qualified for the Europa League, but UEFA rules prohibit a single owner from exerting decisive influence over more than one team in the same European competition.
UEFA had issued a March 1, 2025, deadline for clubs to comply by restructuring ownership or placing shares in a blind trust. Palace failed to meet that deadline.
Despite efforts to present Textor as a dormant investor at Selhurst Park, the connection between Lyon and Palace remained too strong.
In July, Lyon successfully appealed a separate issue to retain their Europa League spot via domestic placement, further complicating matters.
Shortly after, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body officially relegated Palace to the UEFA Europa Conference League, awarding their Europa League place to Nottingham Forest (pending appeal).
Palace have responded by seeking legal counsel and intend to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that they had sold Textor’s stake to Woody Johnson in time and that Textor did not hold decisive influence over the club’s operations.
In the meantime, Crystal Palace are pressing forward with pre-season preparations.
They opened their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 win over Millwall at the Crystal Palace Academy in a closed-door match, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi scoring the winner.
In their second outing, Palace beat Crawley Town 3-0 at Broadfield Stadium, with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, and full-back Daniel Muñoz.
Their third outing was a preseason double-header against Mainz 05 in Austria, featuring two 60-minute fixtures played back-to-back at the Hans-Ludwig-Stadion.
In the first match, the Eagles secured a 1‑1 draw while losing out 3-2 in the second game.
Their next fixture is scheduled against FC Augsburg on August 1st at the HF Stadion Bad Wimsbach, with kickoff at 3 PM BST in this same double-header format.
Looking back at last season’s Premier League campaign, Palace finished 12th, impressively ahead of the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham, with 53 points from 13 wins and a total of 51 goals scored (an average of 1.34 goals per game).
Mateta emerged as the club’s top scorer, netting 17 goals and providing 4 assists across all competitions.
However, the standout performer was Eberechi Eze, contributing 14 goals and 11 assists, including that winner against City at Wembley Stadium to clinch the FA Cup last season.
Ismaïla Sarr also played a key role, recording 12 goals and 8 assists.
Crystal Palace’s opponents, FC Augsburg, began their pre-season campaign on 18th July, kicking off with a friendly match against Bavarian club Memmingen, which they won 4-1 in a closed-door setting.
Their second pre-season friendly followed quickly on 19th July, where they played Austria Lustenau and secured another comfortable 2-0 win, again away from home.
On 25th July, Augsburg faced Rot-Weiss Essen, a club from North Rhine-Westphalia that competes in Germany’s third-tier league, 3. Liga.
Surprisingly, Augsburg lost this match 2-1, an unexpected upset.
However, on the same day, they played Essen again in what seemed like a second friendly match, likely involving a different set of players or a rotated squad, and this time they bounced back with a 4-1 victory.
This suggests Augsburg fielded separate teams across the two fixtures to test depth, youth quality and squad fitness.
In their fifth pre-season match, Augsburg will face Crystal Palace again in a double header format, providing both sides a good opportunity to measure their readiness ahead of the new season.
Reflecting on their 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign, Augsburg finished in 12th place, mirroring Crystal Palace’s Premier League position.
However, they ended with a lower point tally of 43 points and recorded 11 wins over the season.
In terms of attacking threat, DR Congo forward Samuel Essende was their top scorer, netting 10 goals and 3 assists.
Matching that output was attacking midfielder Alexis Claude Maurice, who also contributed 10 goals and 3 assists, showing that their offensive strength largely came from both central attacking roles.
Additionally, Kevin Schlotterbeck, brother of Germany international Nico Schlotterbeck, played a key role for Augsburg last season.
As a centre-back, he was their fourth-highest scorer with 3 goals, indicating his aerial threat from set-pieces and corners.
Head-to-Head
Crystal Palace and FC Augsburg have met just once in their history, a pre-season friendly back in 2014.
That encounter ended in a goalless draw, offering little to separate the two sides.
As they prepare to face off again nearly a decade later, this upcoming double-header will serve as only the second and third meetings between the clubs.
What to expect?
Crystal Palace and FC Augsburg enter their pre-season meeting with contrasting tactical styles honed during the 2024–25 campaigns.
Palace thrived under manager Oliver Glasner, operating primarily in a 3‑4‑2‑1 system and occasionally tweaking into a 3‑4‑3 shape to adjust to opposition and match situations.
Their wing-backs, Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell, provided width, pressing support, and attacking runs, while central attackers like Jean‑Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, and Ismaïla Sarr combined to create overloads in the half-spaces
Palace’s pressing style was aggressive and centralized, aiming to regain possession high up the pitch, with 35% of their goals coming from set-piece situations, a massive part of their offensive threat.
In contrast, FC Augsburg largely favored a 4‑2‑3‑1 formation under Jess Thorup during their 2024/25 season, using a double pivot for midfield stability and generally adopting a more disciplined, cautious approach.
They relied heavily on direct play and set pieces due to limited attacking output.
Alexis Claude‑Maurice, Samuel Essende, and centre-back Kevin Schlotterbeck, who contributed 3 goals, were all a threat from set pieces, signaling their reliance on aerial threats and dead-ball routines.
When these teams meet in pre-season, expect Palace to dominate possession and territory across both games.
Glasner’s squad is likely to press aggressively, especially from wide and central zones, looking to build through wing-back overlaps and quick support from midfield runners.
In contrast, Augsburg will likely drop into compact defensive blocks, use a midfield double-pivot to control transitions, and seek to exploit any gaps via fast counter-attacks or set-piece deliveries.
Set-pieces could be decisive. Palace scored a notable share of goals from dead-ball scenarios, indirectly aided by their tactical preparation and Mateta’s intelligent positioning.
Meanwhile, Augsburg’s Schlotterbeck has demonstrated a threat at the far post, often capitalizing on corners with headed finishes.
Rotation is expected, given it’s a pre-season double header.
Both sides will field different lineups across both games.
Augsburg already showcased squad rotation in dual friendlies against Rot-Weiss Essen, and so did Palace against Mainz.
Players like Eze, Mateta, Claude‑Maurice, and Schlotterbeck may feature in the first game for Palace, as they are first-team starters for their teams, respectively.
The second XI will serve as an opportunity for academy prospects and reserves to gain competitive minutes and integrate into senior team preparations.
Team News & Lineups
In the first match of the double header against Mainz, the Eagles secured a 1‑1 draw, with Jean‑Philippe Mateta finding the net for Palace in the first half before Mainz leveled late through Nelson Weiper.
For the second match, major changes were made, and Palace lost 3‑2, despite goals from Romain Esse and Maxence Lacroix.
Young players like Rio Cardines and Eddie Nketiah featured heavily, underlining the emphasis on squad rotation and match minutes for fringe players.
Palace enter the Augsburg fixtures with a healthy squad.
Marc Guéhi and Eddie Nketiah returned from minor knocks to feature across the Mainz games.
The only confirmed injury is Jesurun Rak‑Sakyi, who was withdrawn early during the Crawley Town friendly and hasn’t featured since.
Expect Oliver Glasner to field his first-choice XI in the opening match, featuring a back three of Guéhi, Lacroix, and Richards, with wing-backs Mitchell and Muñoz giving width.
A central midfield pair of Wharton and Lerma, and a front three including Mateta, Eze, and Sarr are expected.
The second fixture is likely to feature younger academy members and rotational options.
Probable First Match XI: Henderson, Guehi, Lacroix, Richards, Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell, Eze, Sarr, Mateta.
Probable Second Match XI: Walter Benítez, Borna Sosa, Rob Holding, Mofe Jemide, Nathaniel Clyne, Chadi Riad, Deechi Kamada, Will Hughes, Romain Esse, Rio Cardines, and Eddie Nketiah.
For FC Augsburg, meanwhile, so far, Elias Saad and Yusuf Kabadayi have been carefully rotated, appearing only briefly from the bench in their first friendly, indicating ongoing management of their fitness return following injuries.
The rest of the squad appears fit to train and rotate freely.
Under manager Jess Thorup, Augsburg are expected to follow their 2024/25 setup using a 4‑2‑3‑1 formation, with two matches likely serving as opportunities to test depth: the first team may feature fitness-focused starters like Claude‑Maurice, Schlotterbeck, and Massengo, while the second game may see fringe or developmental players used.
Probable First Match XI: Finn Dahmen, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Dimitris Giannoulis, Kevin Schlotterbeck, Mads Pedersen, Massengo, Fellhauer, Claude-Maurice, Phillip Tietz, Yusuf Kabadayi, and Elias Saad.
Probable Second Match XI: Daniel Klein, Cedric Zesiger, Noakhai Banks, Oliver Sorg, Marius Wolf, Arne Maier, Elvis Rexhbejac, Aiman Dardari, Mounie, Essende.
Prediction
In the first match, Crystal Palace’s first-choice XI is expected to dominate proceedings with their well-structured 3-4-2-1 setup and aggressive high pressing under Oliver Glasner.
Given their solid pre-season form and strong finish to last season, they should control possession and create more clear-cut chances. Augsburg’s first team, while organized, may struggle to cope with Palace’s tempo and fluid attacking movement.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 FC Augsburg
In the second match, Augsburg’s more dynamic second unit, fresh off a confident 4-1 win over Rot-Weiss Essen could pose a stronger threat, particularly against Palace’s rotated side.
With both teams likely to give minutes to fringe players and youth prospects, expect a more open and balanced encounter.
Prediction: FC Augsburg 2-2 Crystal Palace
Betting Odds
1st Game:
Crystal Palace to win – Yes
1.65
Palace’s structured setup, strong finish to the 2024–25 season, and superior squad depth make them clear favourites to edge out Augsburg in the first game.
Anytime Goalscorer for Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
The in-form striker has been central to Palace’s attack and is expected to lead the line again, offering a consistent threat in the final third.
Anytime Goalscorer for FC Augsburg – Claude Maurice
Maurice has looked sharp in pre-season and is a key creative presence in Augsburg’s midfield, capable of finding space and finishing from range.
2nd Game:
Match to be drawn -Yes
4.06
The match looks like a stalemate in the 2nd XI, given both sides’ depth.
Under 3.5 goals – Yes
1.50
Both sides tend to play with tactical discipline in pre-season, often rotating heavily, likely limiting the overall goal tally across the double-header.
Anytime Goalscorer for Crystal Palace – Eddie Nketiah
Anytime Goalscorer for FC Augsburg – Sammuel Essende
Where Can I Watch?
United Kingdom
Available on Palace TV+ only, this is not shown on traditional TV or Sky Sports.
Two matches will be streamed live: first at 15:00 BST and the second at 17:00 BST, both accessible via Palace TV+ passes (£3.99 weekly or £37.99 annually)
United States
This friendly is not shown on NBC, Peacock, ESPN, or any US broadcast platform.
Access is via Palace TV+ international streaming; fans must subscribe to Palace TV+ online (no blackout restrictions outside the UK)
Canada
No broadcast via FuboTV or DAZN, despite their domestic Premier League rights.
Available only through Palace TV+, purchasable from overseas, with access to both friendly matches.
Australia
Optus Sport and Stan Sport do not carry this match, even though they hold Premier League rights.
Viewers must watch via Palace TV+, which is accessible internationally and covers both fixtures live.
