Fredrikstad — CrystalPalace : Match Preview and Prediction for August 28,2025

Current Eliteserien Standing

Andreas Hagen’s squad has not featured in the Eliteserien for a month, currently holding the 10th position. This is a respectable standing, especially considering the tight competition in the league table and the mere four-point gap separating them from the top five spots.

European Campaign Struggles

Fredrikstad embarked on their European journey, but it appears highly probable that their continental adventure will soon conclude. Defeats against Midtjylland (1-3, 0-2 aggregate) and an initial setback against Crystal Palace (0-1) clearly indicate their slim chances of progressing further in the competition.

Home Game Challenges and Absences

While they managed to keep a respectable scoreline in England, playing at home against the ‘Eagles’ will force them to adopt a more open approach. Crystal Palace, as FA Cup holders, are likely to exploit this newfound space far more effectively than they did in the first leg. Undeniably, the hosts fall short in terms of both quality and intensity when compared to their formidable opponents. Young forward Benjamin Faraas will be unavailable for this crucial match.

European Competition Adjustment

As last season’s FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace were initially slated for a Europa League spot. However, luck was not on the ‘Eagles” side. Given that Lyon also qualified for the Europa League and both clubs share a common owner (John Textor), with the French side finishing higher in Ligue 1, Crystal Palace were consequently relegated to the Conference League, taking Nottingham Forest’s place, and must now navigate the qualification rounds.

Recent Form and Squad Overview

This past week saw the team lose one of its versatile key players, Eberechi Eze, who moved to Arsenal, his former youth club. While there are talks of signing Akanji from City, he is primarily a defensive-minded player. Nevertheless, the core squad remains largely intact, making a continuation of their impressive unbeaten run highly probable. It’s worth noting that the ‘Eagles’ have remained undefeated in official matches for 12 consecutive games since mid-April.

Recent Domestic Match and Injury Updates

Following their encounter with Fredrikstad, Crystal Palace were unable to secure a home victory against the aforementioned Nottingham Forest, who inherited their European spot (1-1). However, the match was evenly contested, and the draw was a fair reflection of the play. For the fixture against the Norwegians, the visitors will be without Doucouré, Kamada, Nketiah, and Riad. Matheus França, who was also sidelined with an injury, has since moved to Vasco da Gama on loan. I am confident that the Londoners will become even stronger once these four key players return to action.