It hasn’t been the smoothest start to life in England for Pierre Sage but he took an important step in the right direction as Crystal Palace marked their long-awaited Europa League debut with a thumping 4-0 victory over Lech Poznan.
Yeremy Pino opened the scoring, with Chris Richards and Jorgen Strand Larsen adding further first-half goals before Eddie Nketiah completed the rout late on.
Sage’s side were perhaps flattered by the scoreline thanks to some woeful Poznan defending – including a kamikaze 35-yard own goal from Terry Yegbe that was disallowed for offside after he threw the ball straight to Pino for the opener – yet they looked threatening every time they attacked.
Promising patterns of play were on display, and Palace looked a lot more comfortable on the ball than on many of their European nights here last season.
Sage has barely been able to call upon Jean-Philippe Mateta or Ismaila Sarr, in the squad for the first time this season, yet it’s now 13 goals in six games in all competitions for his side.
One worry will be Palace’s defence, the leakiest in the Premier League, and although they kept a clean sheet here, Poznan squandered several chances.
Crystal Palace kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Lech Poznan
Yeremy Pino scored and won a penalty on an impressive night for the Spanish attacker
It was an important result for Pierre Sage after a difficult start to life in South London
In fairness to Sage, just two members of his back-five played regularly here last season – plus back-up keeper Walter Benitez is currently filling in for the injured Dean Henderson – and they will surely improve with time as their understanding develops.
Axel Disasi made some important interventions as he attempted to make up for his red card on Saturday, while Quinten Timber is a smart addition in midfield.
‘There’s still a lot to work on, it’s still early days with lots of new signings,’ Palace skipper Adam Wharton said post-match.
‘We are trying to gel as fast as we can. It has been a slow start but tonight was a great step forward.’
Sage will be particularly pleased with the display of Pino as the attacking midfielder continues to go from strength-to-strength under his leadership.
The Spaniard showed signs of his quality during his first season in English football but often appeared shorn of confidence as he adapted to a more physical style of play.
Now a World Cup winner, he reminded everyone just how good he can be with a self-assured display.
His opener may have been gift-wrapped by the Poznan defence, yet Pino still demonstrated great poise and skill to take it past another defender and finish.
At times, he ran the show, won a penalty with more trickery and wasn’t afraid to take on shots from distance.
With Sarr now back in the fold, and Mateta not too far away, Sage’s attacking options appear to be in good shape.
There was always likely to be a slight drop-off and transition after Oliver Glasner’s departure, but there are plenty of signs that Sage’s football can be a success in South London and he deserves the time to prove that.
