Encouraged by their Premier League draw at Chelsea, Palace will aim to dominate Norwegian minnows Fredrikstad on Thursday night.
Best bets for Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad
- Crystal Palace -2 (Handicap 3-Way) at odds of 1.82 with Betway
- Over 1.5 Goals (1st Half) at odds of 1.92 with Betway
- Ismaila Sarr Anytime Goalscorer at odds of 1.87 with Betway
The Eagles should soar to a 4-0 first-leg win over Fredrikstad.
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Our analysis: Form of both teams
Although Crystal Palace would dearly love to be playing in this season’s Europa League, the Conference League still marks a step up in the club’s recent history. They face 2024 Norwegian Cup winners Fredrikstad FK in their qualifier, with the first leg to be played at Selhurst Park.
Palace showed impressive resilience in their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League season. They clinched a goalless draw against 2025 Club World Cup champions Chelsea on Sunday.
Oliver Glasner is likely to name a strong starting line-up for this first leg, aiming to build a sufficient advantage while allowing some rotation for the second leg. The only likely absentee is Eberechi Eze, whose move to Tottenham inches closer to completion. Eze’s likely deputy will be former Millwall winger, Romain Esse.
Fredrikstad have a proud and storied past in Norwegian football, having won their top flight on nine occasions. They are also the joint-record winners of the Norwegian Cup, which they won in 2024 to enter this season’s Europa League qualifiers.
Their domestic form in 2025 has been below par, with the club sitting in eighth place in the Eliteserien after 18 games played. They were comfortably brushed aside 5-1 by Danish side Midtjylland in their Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round tie, which saw them drop into Conference League qualification.
Probable lineups for Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad
Crystal Palace expected lineup: Henderson; Richards, Guehi, Lacroix, Munoz, Mitchell, Hughes, Wharton, Esse, Sarr, Mateta
Fredrikstad expected lineup: Borsheim; S. Owusu, Woledzi, Fredriksen, Rafn, Molde, Metcalfe, L. Owusu, Ohlenschlaeger, Skogvold, Bjartalid
Eagles to win by at least a three-goal margin
Looking at Fredrikstad’s games against Midtjylland as a reference, the Danes were able to win by two-goal margins in both legs of their tie. With Palace almost certainly better than Midtjylland in all areas, backing the Eagles to win by three or more goals seems to be a smart play.
Glasner will be keen to settle the tie in the first 90 minutes, affording him the luxury of resting key players for the second leg in Norway next week.
The likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr and Romain Esse will be keen to stamp their mark on this first-leg game.
- Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad Bet 1: Crystal Palace -2 (Handicap 3-Way) at odds of 1.82 with Betway
Glasner to seal the tie early
Despite Palace expected to get off to a fast start, it’s surprising the betting markets give just a 50% chance of two or more first-half goals.
The Eagles will be almost at full strength for the start of this first leg, so there are no excuses for Palace not to pull clear of the F.F.K by the half-time interval.
There will be a clear incentive for the players to build that early lead, since it will allow Glasner to rest them in the second half. It will also give some of the backup players a chance to gain some match experience.
- Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad Bet 2: Over 1.5 Goals (1st Half) at odds of 1.92 with Betway
Sarr emerges as the value goalscorer pick
The betting markets believe Mateta has a 68% chance of scoring against Fredrikstad, so there doesn’t appear to be any value in backing the French powerhouse in this contest.
The value seems to lie in backing Ismaila Sarr instead. The betting markets give the Senegalese forward only a 53.48% chance of scoring against Fredrikstad. Given that he’s almost certain to start, Sarr will be part of a front three aiming to break the Norwegians’ resolve.
The 27-year-old scored eight goals in 38 appearances for the Eagles last season. Hence, facing off against significantly weaker opposition is a chance for him to boost his 25/26 goal tally.
- Crystal Palace vs Fredrikstad Bet 3: Ismaila Sarr Anytime Goalscorer at odds of 1.87 with Betway