Crystal Palace will take a step closer to the last 16 if they beat Shelbourne FC on Thursday night.

Crystal Palace travel to Dublin on Thursday night with their sights firmly set on strengthening their bid for a place in the UEFA Conference League last 16, as they prepare to face a struggling Shelbourne side at Tallaght Stadium.

The Eagles enter this clash buoyed by an excellent run of domestic form. Oliver Glasner’s team enjoyed a perfect start to a hectic December schedule, registering back-to-back Premier League away wins over Burnley and Fulham within four days. Their 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage last Sunday, sealed by Marc Guehi’s thumping 87th-minute header, lifted them to fourth place in the Premier League.

With 26 points from 15 matches, Crystal Palace are enjoying the best start to a top-flight campaign in the club’s history, placing them firmly in the race for Champions League qualification. In Europe, however, the Eagles have yet to find consistent rhythm.

Their debut UEFA Europa Conference League campaign has been a pattern of wins followed by defeats, leaving them 18th in the 36-team standings and two points adrift of the top eight. Matchday 4 brought disappointment as the Eagles squandered a lead and suffered a 2-1 defeat at RC Strasbourg, twice striking the post and failing to convert dominance into points, a frustration Glasner openly acknowledged afterward.

Nonetheless, Crystal Palace remain bookmakers’ favourites to lift the Conference League trophy and follow in the footsteps of fellow London sides West Ham United (2023 winners) and Chelsea (2025 winners). With fixtures against Shelbourne and KuPS left to play, Glasner will know this trip to Dublin cannot end in anything other than three points.

For Shelbourne, this European adventure has been historic, if not particularly fruitful. Having become just the second Irish club ever to reach a UEFA group stage, the Reds have endured a bleak return: winless across their first four matches and the only side in the competition yet to score a goal. A goalless draw with BK Hacken on matchday one has since been followed by three straight defeats, 1-0 to Shkendija, 1-0 to Drita, and most recently 2-0 to AZ Alkmaar.

Their lack of cutting edge has left them 34th in the 36-team table and facing elimination unless results elsewhere are extraordinarily kind. With their domestic season having ended in early November, Shelbourne finished third, seven points behind champions Shamrock Rovers, Joey O’Brien’s team have had a month to refocus and recalibrate ahead of this daunting fixture.

Thursday presents an opportunity for Shelbourne to make history: no League of Ireland team has ever beaten English opposition in UEFA competition, despite 27 previous attempts. Yet beating the Premier League’s fourth-best side, in full flow, may be the tallest of orders. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.

Team News & Tactics

Shelbourne FC

The home side will welcome back James Norris, with the Liverpool loanee now eligible for selection after serving a one-match suspension against AZ Alkmaar. His return gives manager Joey O’Brien the option to reinforce the defensive structure, particularly if he opts for the five-man back line used earlier in the group stage.

In terms of fitness, Shelbourne do not have any major fresh injury concerns heading into Thursday’s clash, allowing O’Brien to pick largely from his strongest squad. The midfield unit of Jack Henry-Francis, JJ Lunney, and Kerr McInroy remains intact, while in attack, the manager must decide whether Mipo Odubeko or John Martin partners Harry Wood, who has been one of their liveliest forward outlets in Europe.

Joey O’Brien is expected to retain his disciplined and compact tactical approach, aiming to remain defensively organised while attempting to exploit Crystal Palace on the counterattack. With Shelbourne yet to score in this season’s Conference League, the attacking trio’s efficiency will be crucial if they are to trouble the Premier League visitors.

In terms of shape, Shelbourne are likely to line up in a 5-3-2 formation. Wessel Speel will start in goal. The defensive line comprises Milan Mbeng at right wing-back, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, and James Norris forming the central block, with Daniel Kelly deployed as the left wing-back. In midfield, Jack Henry-Francis, JJ Lunney, and Kerr McInroy will operate centrally. Up front, Harry Wood is expected to be joined by Mipo Odubeko, offering pace and mobility in transition.

Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Speel; Mbeng, Barrett, Ledwidge, Norris, Kelly; Henry-Francis, Lunney, McInroy; Wood, Odubeko

Crystal Palace

The visitors travel to Dublin with a lengthy injury list that continues to limit Oliver Glasner’s options. Daniel Munoz missed the Premier League win over Fulham with a knee problem, and although the manager is hopeful of having him back for the weekend clash with Manchester City, he is not expected to feature against Shelbourne.

The Eagles also remain without Ismaïla Sarr, who is recovering from an ankle injury and will shortly depart for AFCON duty with Senegal. In midfield and defence, several players remain sidelined: Cheick Doucoure (knee), Caleb Kporha (back), Rio Cardines (groin), and Chadi Riad (knee/fitness) are all unavailable.

Given the congested schedule and the level of opposition, Glasner is expected to rotate. Jaydee Canvot, Borna Sosa, Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, and Justin Devenny are all strong candidates to return to the starting XI, offering fresh legs and tactical flexibility. The manager is likely to maintain his proven 3-4-2-1 system, built around control in midfield and sharpness in transition.

Palace’s expected setup will see Dean Henderson start in goal. The back three should consist of Jaydee Canvot on the right, Maxence Lacroix centrally, and captain Marc Guehi on the left of the trio. In the wing-back roles, Nathaniel Clyne is likely to operate on the right, while Borna Sosa provides width and delivery from the left.

In midfield, Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes are expected to anchor the centre, offering stability and ball progression. The two advanced midfield roles could be filled by Justin Devenny and Yeremy Pino, both offering creativity and intelligent movement. Leading the line should be Eddie Nketiah, who brings sharp finishing and pressing energy.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Lerma, Hughes, Sosa; Devenny, Pino; Nketiah

Key Stats

• Shelbourne are the only team in the Conference League yet to score a goal this season, failing to find the net in all four of their group-stage matches.
• Crystal Palace have alternated between wins and losses in the Conference League so far (W2 L2).
• Crystal Palace enter this fixture with their best-ever Premier League start, collecting 26 points in their first 15 games.
• Shelbourne have lost three consecutive Conference League matches, conceding four goals while scoring none, and sit 34th out of 36 teams in the league phase standings.
• English clubs are unbeaten in 27 previous meetings against League of Ireland opposition.

Player to Watch

Eddie Nketiah

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The former Arsenal man enters this fixture as Crystal Palace’s most natural goal threat and the player most likely to exploit Shelbourne’s defensive vulnerabilities. With Palace expected to dominate territory and possession, the England international will find himself at the centre of their attacking sequences, operating both as a poacher inside the box and as a dynamic runner into wide channels.

Nketiah’s sharp movement, acceleration over short distances, and instinctive finishing give him a major edge against a Shelbourne back line that has struggled to cope with pace and physicality in Europe. His ability to create separation from centre-backs and attack low crosses or cut-backs could prove decisive, especially given Palace’s wing-back-driven system and strong delivery from wide areas.

Moreover, Nketiah’s confidence is growing after a series of strong domestic performances, and Glasner is likely to view this match as an opportunity to keep his striker’s momentum intact. If Palace are to secure a vital win in Dublin, Nketiah’s clinical presence in the penalty area may well be the difference.

Prediction

Shelbourne FC 0–2 Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace should approach this fixture with full control and confidence. Shelbourne’s lack of goals, combined with their difficulty coping with higher-tempo opponents, places them at a significant disadvantage against a Premier League side pushing for the knockout rounds.

Even with a rotated XI, Palace possess far greater technical quality, depth, and attacking variety. Their ability to stretch the pitch with wing-backs, dominate midfield through Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes, and finish chances through Edward Nketiah gives them multiple avenues to break down Shelbourne’s defensive block.

Shelbourne, competitive domestically, simply do not generate enough threat in transition or sustained possession to trouble Palace consistently, and their historical European struggles reflect that gap.