‘El Casico’ seethes, woodwork rattles, and honours even at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest shared a fiery 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park, a contest framed by the off‑field dispute that had seen Palace demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League. Ismaila Sarr broke the deadlock eight minutes before half-time, steering Daniel Muñoz’s cross past Matz Sels with a crisp first‑time finish after the hosts had grown into the game.

Palace came within millimetres of a second when captain Marc Guéhi headed against the near post just before the interval, but Forest responded after the restart. A 57th‑minute switch paid off as Dan Ndoye’s crossfield pass released Callum Hudson‑Odoi to surge inside and beat Dean Henderson at his near post — the visitors’ only shot on target — setting up a breathless finale in which Igor Jesus hit the upright, Omari Hutchinson lifted over, and a late VAR check on Murillo’s contact with Sarr yielded no penalty.

A cauldron called ‘El Casico’

From the moment the teams emerged, the temperature in the stands told its own story. Palace supporters unfurled a banner aimed at Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and let fly a summer’s worth of chants about Uefa, while the visitors’ arrival was accompanied by a phalanx of security. Marinakis himself was absent, but the needle around the CAS case that took Forest into the Europa League in Palace’s stead hung heavy over south London.

The home end staged a tifo showing former captain Joel Ward lifting silverware, emblazoned with the message “Built from glass – etched in silver,” and then roared their team forward. Forest actually began the brighter, with Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs‑White combining for early sights of goal, before Palace’s rhythm and physicality took hold amid a flurry of challenges and a fervent soundtrack.

Sarr steps into the void

This was Palace’s first league outing since Eberechi Eze’s departure to Arsenal, and Sarr assumed responsibility. When Forest failed to fully clear a Tyrick Mitchell cross, Adam Wharton recycled smartly to Muñoz, whose measured delivery was tucked away first‑time by the Senegal international — the kind of penalty‑box precision Palace needed in Eze’s absence.

Before and after the opener, Oliver Glasner’s side posed threats: Jean‑Philippe Mateta drew a save from Sels from distance and Will Hughes flashed a drive just wide. The margin for comfort was agonisingly thin when Guéhi’s header from a Wharton free‑kick clipped the near post with the final touch of the half, a reminder of how close the game was to slipping beyond Forest’s reach.

Nuno’s tweak and a ruthless equaliser

Forest had failed to register a shot on target before the break, but Nuno Espírito Santo’s adjustment — switching Hudson‑Odoi and Ndoye — altered the dynamic. Ndoye’s raking pass isolated the Palace left side and Hudson‑Odoi did the rest, outpacing his marker and squeezing a low finish inside Henderson’s near post. The goalkeeper, a Wembley hero for Palace in their recent cup triumphs, got something on it with his boot but could not keep it out, with England manager Thomas Tuchel watching on from the stands.

The goal — Forest’s sole effort on target — sparked a spell of momentum. Nuno also used three major summer recruits from the bench, handing debuts to Omari Hutchinson, Arnaud Kalimuendo and James McAtee, while Wood remained a focal point up front after an earlier chance had gone begging. A competitive midfield duel between Wharton and the impressive Elliot Anderson unfolded as the contest tightened.

Late twists, VAR and the road ahead

Forest nearly completed the turnaround in stoppage time when Igor Jesus, a substitute from Botafogo in John Textor’s wider network, burst through only to strike the post, and Hutchinson soon lifted a presentable chance over the bar. Palace pushed back and thought they might gain a late lifeline when Sarr tumbled under contact from Murillo, but after a VAR review no penalty was awarded.

The point makes it four from the first two games for Forest and extends their record of not having lost at Selhurst Park since 2003. For Palace, the performance showed structure and threat even without Eze — and with a bench so light it included two goalkeepers — but also a second‑half fade after midweek Conference League exertions. Next up, Palace travel to Norway to face Fredrikstad in their qualifier with a 1‑0 aggregate lead before visiting Aston Villa, while Forest return home to meet West Ham next Sunday.