Fredrikstad vs Crystal Palace Prediction 28.08.2025 | UEFA Conference League

Fredrikstad’s triumph in last season’s Norwegian Cup secured them a place in UEFA’s second-tier tournament, but their European campaign was swiftly ended, with Midtjylland delivering a ruthless 5-1 aggregate defeat to eliminate them in the third qualifying stage.

European football is far from over for the Aristocrats, as they still have a chance to reach the group stage of the Conference League if they can overcome the daunting task of Crystal Palace, and their display in London showed enough determination and grit to only go down 1-0.

However, their hopes of striking back against the Premier League side in the return leg appear rather slim, as the White-Reds head into the clash with the London Eagles short of rhythm and form, having managed just a single victory from their last eight outings.

Valdemar Birkso has struggled with a series of injuries lately, meaning summer signing Martin Borsheim will step in for his fourth straight appearance, while coach Andreas Hagen has almost a full squad at his disposal.

Crystal Palace’s 2025-26 campaign got off to a truly unforgettable start, as few could have foreseen them toppling Premier League champions Liverpool at the iconic Wembley, edging the Community Shield Cup on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw in normal time.

The silverware triumph gave Oliver Glasner and his side a huge lift in confidence heading into the new Premier League campaign, where they quickly proved difficult to break down, first holding Chelsea to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge before sharing the spoils with Forest on matchday two.

Early signs from their displays suggest a highly promising campaign lies ahead for the London Eagles on all fronts, yet to prolong their European adventure and reach the league phase they must first protect the slender one-goal cushion earned in the opening leg.

The absence of Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure, Matheus Franca and Eddie Nketiah continues to trouble the Austrian manager, while star man Eberechi Eze has departed the Eagles to join Arsenal.