Kamada's Late Equaliser Gives Sage Relief as Ten-Man Palace Draw with Hoffenheim

What happened

Crystal Palace salvaged a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim in the Europa League at Selhurst Park, with Daichi Kamada scoring in stoppage time to rescue a point for a side that finished the match with ten men. Sky Sports reported that the result offered manager Pierre Sage a much-needed lifeline after three consecutive Premier League defeats had left Palace in the relegation zone and raised questions about his future at the club.

Report details

Palace's defensive problems surfaced early when Alexander Prass put Hoffenheim ahead in the seventh minute. The goal came after the hosts were caught on the counter, with Prass's effort slipping underneath goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Palace showed some attacking intent but had difficulty converting possession into clear chances, while Hoffenheim carried a threat whenever they broke forward. Henderson made an excellent save to deny Andrej Kramaric from close range, according to the report.

Palace's situation worsened in the 77th minute when Adam Wharton received a second yellow card for catching Wouter Burger with his arm in an aerial challenge, leaving the hosts to play the closing stages a man down. Earlier, in the 67th minute, Yeremy Pino had gone one on one with Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who came out on top in that duel. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Palace found an equaliser in stoppage time: Pino delivered a cross into the area, Tyrick Mitchell headed the ball down, and Kamada finished through the goalkeeper's legs to spark relief around Selhurst Park.

The draw leaves Palace with defensive issues to address, but the manner of the late equaliser could prove significant for a manager under increasing scrutiny. Sky Sports noted that Sage will breathe easier, though the performance was hardly one to silence his critics ahead of Sunday's Premier League meeting with Liverpool.

Separately, Sage declined to explain why defender Axel Disasi was left out of the matchday squad, calling it an internal decision. Disasi, on loan from Chelsea, had played every minute of Palace's Europa League campaign this season and started their last two Premier League matches. His absence drew attention before kick-off, particularly after Palace initially named him in their starting XI on social media before correcting the teamsheet to show Honest Ahanor in his place. Asked why Disasi had been omitted, Sage told reporters: "It's an internal decision. I don't want to comment." Pressed on whether the situation was comparable to previous squad omissions involving other players, he said: "It's nice to try to ask the same question, but I said I don't want to comment. Sorry for that because, you know, I always reply, but I don't want to comment on this thing." When it was suggested that leaving an important defender out of such a significant game without explanation could give the impression he was "losing control," Sage replied: "That's your analysis."