Crystal Palace needed to respond after the disaster against Brighton & Hove Albion on the south coast, and while Pierre Sage’s side didn’t beat Besiktas in the Europa League, there were encouraging signs throughout the 2-2 draw.
Last weekend, Palace were mauled by their rivals, who thrashed them 5-0 in a ruthless showing in the Premier League. Sage has certainly struggled to get the right tune out of his players since taking over from Oliver Glasner, but there is goodwill toward the former Lyon and Lens coach, who was always taking the reins at a transitional stage.
What matters is the performance. All too often, already, the performance has been lacking this season. On Thursday night in Turkey, the Eagles looked like a team.
How Crystal Palace played vs Besiktas
Last year’s Conference League champions have struggled this season. 14th in the Premier League, they lack fluency and can’t quite get their intensity right. No side have conceded more goals than their 17 in the English top flight.
Against Besiktas, though, there was much to be admired. The hosts controlled much of the possession, but it was Palace who threatened more in front of goal, attempting to swarm the box throughout the game but failing to sustain the cutting edge demonstrated by Jean-Philippe Mateta in the second half.
The Frenchman, indisputably, is an upgrade on Jorgen Strand Larsen in front of goal, rifling into the back of the net to remind supporters of his quality in attack.
Now, we need to see Palace implement these tactics with greater consistency. We need to see spirit and togetherness from Sage’s side, who also came flying out the traps in what must have been a response to a dressing room bruising from the boss after trudging out of Brighton’s ground several days ago.
Mateta enjoyed the show-stopping moment, but this was another cultured display from Adam Wharton in the middle of the park, still the anchor at the heart of a new system.
Adam Wharton’s performance in Turkey
During the backend of the 2025/26 season and at the start of the summer transfer window, interest in Wharton was rife. Palace stuck to their guns, though, and refused to cash in on their valuable England midfielder.
That decision could turn out to be something of a sliding-door moment, with Wharton still bound to be worth a pretty penny in 2027, and now able to utilise his strengths in midfield to stabilise the Sage era.
In Turkey, the 22-year-old was immense, dictating the flow of the game as Crystal Palace fought tooth and nail against Besiktas, railing against a roaring crowd to leave disappointed that they hadn’t found the winner.
It’s interesting that Wharton works so well when alongside Daichi Kamada, able to dribble forward, into space, where he can influence play, picking out crisp passes and feeding forwards in promising positions.
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Adam Wharton vs Besiktas |
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|---|---|---|
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Stats (* per 90) |
# |
|
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
|
Goals + Assists |
0 + 0 |
|
|
Touches |
58 |
|
|
Accurate passes |
31/43 (72%) |
|
|
Chances created |
2 |
|
|
Crosses completed |
1/2 |
|
|
Possession lost |
16x |
|
|
Succ. dribbles |
2/2 |
|
|
Ball recoveries |
8 |
|
|
Def. contributions |
3 |
|
|
Duels won |
4/11 |
|
Wharton is one of the most profitable stars under Sage’s wing, and he’s definitely a superstar in the centre for Crystal Palace, but if the draw at Besiktas told us anything, it’s that another talented playmaker is on his way toward overtaking Wharton as Palace’s new talisman.
Crystal Palace star is becoming their best player
Last season, Yeremy Pino did not colour many impressed after transferring from Villarreal to Selhurst Park in a deal worth £26m – Steve Parish got the deal done despite the Spanish playmaker’s £69m release clause.
Things are starting to come together for him, and against Besiktas, he showcased his potential as the focal part of this Crystal Palace attack, sliding home after a well-worked Eagles sequence to restore parity after the break.
Pino was the standout performer. He was omnipresent in an attacking sense, turning into the kind of instinctive, influential playmaker who attracted interest from the Premier League’s biggest hitters back in his Villarreal days.
The 24-year-old may well be eclipsing the likes of Wharton and Mateta in the pursuit of being regarded as Palace’s best player. He’s got flair and composure when in key attacking moments, but Pino also won three tackles and four duels against Besiktas, underlining his roundedness in the middle of the park.
There’s no denying that Pino failed to live up to the hype last season. However, he has found his Midas touch in front of goal, and he is starting to bring a sort of creative energy to the pitch which suggests he’s on his way toward becoming the outfit’s main man in attack.
It’s high time someone with his profile stood up and took the reins. Let’s hope for more of the same over the coming weeks and months.
