Crystal Palace vs Nantes

Selhurst Park is the venue as Crystal Palace and Nantes go head-to-head in an exciting summer friendly.

Crystal Palace looked destined for a season-long fight against the drop before they appointed Oliver Glasner as the new chief of staff in February. After steering the Eagles to a respectable 10th-place finish in the Premier League, the Austrian manager oversaw a near-flawless pre-season campaign. Charlton Athletic did hold the London outfit to a 1-1 draw at the start of the summer. However, Palace have since got the better of Crawley Town, Wolverhampton, and West Ham, bagging at least three goals in each victory. Back to the home comforts of Selhurst Park for the first time since a thumping 5-0 triumph against Aston Villa at the backend of last season, Glasner’s men are the bookies’ favorites to beat Nantes in their first-ever encounter.

On the other hand, Nantes avoided relegation from Ligue 1 last season by the skin of their teeth, finishing 14th out of 18. Despite a thoroughly disappointing season, the French strugglers have confirmed Antoine Kombouaré as their manager. That decision could pay dividends, at least based on Nantes’ pre-season showings. Except for a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Hamburg SV, the Canaries haven’t lost any of their four remaining summer friendlies (W3, D1). However, none of those three wins came against top-tier opposition, meaning this match could be Kombouaré’s chance to repay the club’s trust. Unfortunately, none of Nantes’ last five clashes against top-flight teams have yielded a wi (D2, L3).