Bitter homecoming! Sage left empty-handed in France as Palace pay price for nightmare first half

Crystal Palace suffered their first away defeat in Europa League history, falling 3-2 to Lyon in a thrilling encounter at Groupama Stadium. Early goals from Corentin Tolisso and Ernest Nuamah put the French hosts in command before Palace staged a vigorous second-half fightback.

Yeremy Pino pulled a goal back shortly after the restart before Pavel Sulc restored Lyon's two-goal cushion with a clever backheel flick.

Daichi Kamada netted late on to set up a tense finish, but the Eagles could not find a late equaliser despite backing from 3,000 travelling supporters.

Returning to his former club, Palace manager Pierre Sage offered a candid assessment of his side's slow start and tactical struggles against Lyon. "The scoreline may have been close, but there was a big difference in the way the two teams played," Sage admitted after the match.

"We were nowhere near our usual standards in the first half. We improved considerably after the break and gave ourselves a chance, but conceding that third goal made things difficult."

Sage added: "It's a very disappointing return because we lost. I can't take satisfaction from coming back home or seeing familiar faces when the result isn't there."

Defender Axel Disasi echoed his manager's frustration, pointing to poor early focus while urging his team-mates to build on their improved second-half showing. "We didn't start the game well, but I think we responded well in the second half," Disasi stated.

"We pressed high, won the ball back in dangerous areas and created chances. We managed to pull it back to 3-2 and had opportunities towards the end, so it's frustrating not to have got something."

Disasi added: "We need to focus on our second-half performance. We showed much more intent and personality."

Having claimed three points from their opening two Europa League fixtures, Palace must quickly shift their focus back to domestic action.

Sage’s side travel to face rivals Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday, seeking to bounce back from their European setback.

The Eagles then resume their continental campaign next Thursday with a challenging away fixture against Turkish giants Besiktas.