Crystal Palace secured a 3-0 victory over Bromley in a pre-season friendly match held at Hayes Lane. The game marked the second friendly for Crystal Palace under manager Pierre Sage.
Despite the loss, pre-season matches are often viewed as opportunities for teams to build fitness and for players to adapt to new tactical approaches. For Crystal Palace, this match followed an earlier 5-1 win against Swindon Town behind closed doors, where Eddie Nketiah scored and Matheus Franca achieved a second-half hat-trick. Pierre Sage had previously noted that his squad was capable of 15 to 20 minutes of full intensity after five training sessions.
Player Performances and Squad Concerns
The match against Bromley offered some insights into individual player performances. Cheick Doucoure, a Mali international, appeared to be rusty, though his recent injury history might account for this. Another player, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, had a quiet display, raising concerns for Crystal Palace.
Rak-Sakyi’s career trajectory has been a point of discussion. After promising loan spells with Charlton in the 2022/23 season and Sheffield United in the 2024/25 season, his development at Crystal Palace has been less straightforward. During his time at Charlton, he scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 43 appearances in League One. Despite this, he spent the 2023/24 season on the bench under former manager Roy Hodgson.
In the summer of 2024, Crystal Palace reportedly rejected two £15m bids for Rak-Sakyi. This was confirmed by Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, who mentioned the bids and widespread interest from the Championship before securing Rak-Sakyi on loan. Despite these offers, and the fact that neither Hodgson nor Oliver Glasner seemed to favour Rak-Sakyi for the first team in the 2024/25 season, the bids were declined.
Following his loan at Sheffield United, Rak-Sakyi’s profile reportedly diminished, leading to an underwhelming loan to Turkish club Caykur Rizespor for half of last season, and then to Stoke for the second half. Currently, Rak-Sakyi has 12 months remaining on his contract and is considered likely to leave for free in 2027, with the club unlikely to receive similar transfer offers again. This situation has been described as a missed opportunity for both the club and the player, particularly given Crystal Palace’s need to manage their UEFA 70% Squad Cost Ratio.
Bromley’s Preparations and Managerial Reunion
For Bromley, the match against Crystal Palace served as part of their preparations for their upcoming season in League One, following their promotion after winning the League Two title with 87 points. This marks their first time in League One. The club’s home expected points total of 37.19 ranked 10th in their division, suggesting they often surpassed underlying statistical expectations at Hayes Lane.
The fixture also held a personal significance for Bromley manager Andy Woodman, who previously worked at Crystal Palace as both a player and a coach. This match was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. Bromley had previously lost 4-1 to West Brom in Portugal, a game where Victor Adeboyejo scored a first-half penalty.
Both teams are expected to rotate their squads heavily in pre-season matches, especially with other fixtures scheduled shortly after. Crystal Palace has upcoming games against Lens and Famalicao. Several players who participated in the World Cup are also expected to remain unavailable due to extended breaks, and uncertainty surrounds Maxence Lacroix and Adam Wharton due to transfer interest.
The match between Bromley and Crystal Palace was one of several friendly fixtures played on Saturday, 25th July.
Source: bbc.co.uk
As NewsGB's Senior Football Correspondent, Jack Ferndale reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He covered north-east football for a regional daily. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Jack lives in Sunderland, where he watches lower-league football home and away. “The story is in the squad, not just the starting eleven.”
