Crystal Palace suffers 3-0 defeat to Bromley in pre-season friendly
Crystal Palace experienced a 3-0 defeat against Bromley at Hayes Lane in their second pre-season friendly. The match on Saturday saw Bromley secure the victory, with goals from Victor Adeboyejo, who scored twice, and Nicke Kabamba. This result follows Palace’s previous friendly against Swindon Town.
Manager Pierre Sage utilised separate teams in each half to evaluate both senior players and academy prospects. Despite creating several opportunities, Crystal Palace was unable to convert them into goals. The score remained level at half-time before Bromley scored three times in the second half.
Player performances and tactical observations
Among Crystal Palace’s players, Eddie Nketiah was noted as a strong performer, particularly in the second half. He held up the ball effectively, created a chance for Joel Drakes-Thomas, and hit the crossbar during a scramble near the goal. Nketiah’s performance suggested he could lead the attack if other senior strikers are unavailable.
David Ozoh and Matheus França also showed promise, with Ozoh contributing to deeper build-up play and carrying the ball into advanced areas. França was described as the most lively attacker in the first half, finding dangerous spaces and creating an opening for Romain Esse. França’s comfort in a central role was highlighted, building on his previous hat-trick against Swindon Town.
Conversely, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi had a quiet display, missing Palace’s clearest opportunity in the first half. His performance in this friendly, along with the match against Swindon, was described as underwhelming. Cheick Doucouré, returning from a long injury absence, appeared to lack rhythm, with some passes going astray and a mistake leading to a penalty for Bromley. However, his 45 minutes of play were seen as a positive step towards regaining full fitness.
Other notable performances included Dean Benamar, who provided width and made positive overlapping runs, and Charlie Walker-Smith, an 18-year-old who handled the physical challenge from Michael Cheek well. Mofe Jemide, an academy defender, had a difficult afternoon, making an error that contributed to Bromley’s opening goal.
Context of player development and transfers
The match also brought attention to the situation surrounding Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Reports indicate that Crystal Palace previously rejected bids for the player. He had promising loan spells at Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign, where he scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 43 League One appearances, and later at Sheffield United in the 2024/25 season.
Despite interest from other clubs, Rak-Sakyi spent the 2023/24 season on the bench under former manager Roy Hodgson. After his loan spell with Sheffield United, he had an underwhelming loan to Caykur Rizespor, which lasted half a season, followed by a loan to Stoke for the second half of that campaign.
The pre-season friendlies serve as an opportunity for Pierre Sage to assess his squad and integrate his tactical approach. The club is also mindful of UEFA’s 70% Squad Cost Ratio this summer, which influences transfer decisions. The match against Bromley provided further insights into the squad’s current form and areas for development ahead of the upcoming season.
Several other friendly matches took place on Saturday, July 25th, including Luton Town’s win over Al Kholood.
Source: bbc.co.uk
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
