Palace facing ordeal: Five games in 12 days?!
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 06.11.25. | 16:16
Arguably, the most demanding schedule in Europe this season is ahead of the Eagles, as they are going to play almost every other day between December 11 and December 23
Numerous clubs have been complaining about busy schedules, players' fatigue, and, consequently, frequent injuries. European giants have been specifically loud, especially ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. However, nothing changed.
Moreover, it's even worse, and the clear evidence of that is Crystal Palace's situation. Namely, after smashing Liverpool at Anfield and advancing to the EFL Cup quarter-finals, the Eagles are facing an ordeal, as they're supposed to play five games in three different competitions in the span of only 12 days?!
This exhausting run is set to start on December 11 with the UEFA Conference League clash against Shelbourne in Ireland. Three days later, Palace will host Manchester City in the Premier League derby, and four days after the replay of the 2025 FA Cup final, the Finnish KuPS will visit Selhurst Park in the fourth round of the ECL league phase.
On November 21 - ten days after the start of the "cavalry" - Oliver Glasner's men will face Leeds United on the road in another EPL duel, and then end the five-game run against Arsenal at Emirates in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. But before things get "chaotic," Marc Guehi, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr, and Co. will play AZ Alkmaar at home in the ECL tonight (23.00).
From the 7th of December to the 7th of January, Crystal Palace will play TEN matches.
— Tampa Palace (@CPFC_Tampa) November 4, 2025
That’s 1 match every 3 days for an entire month-long period 🤯
To make matters worse, these dates coincide with AFCON, meaning Palace will be without Ismaila Sarr & Christantus Uche.#CPFC
To make matter worse, the duel against the Gunners was initially scheduled for December 16, meaning that the Eagles were meant to play four games in eight days?! Eventually, the match has been postponed by a week, but this series of clashes will undoubtedly take a serious toll on the team's fitness and freshness.
In the end, the vital question is whether football officials even think about players or are they interested in "material aspects" only.
UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 3
Thursday
20.45: (1.15) AEK (7.75) Shamrock (19.0)
20.45: (1.45) AEK Larnaca (4.30) Aberdeen (7.75)
20.45: (2.30) Celje (3.45) Legia (3.05)
20.45: (3.60) Kups (3.45) Slovan B. (2.05)
20.45: (2.25) Mainz (3.30) Fiorentina (3.30)
20.45: (1.95) Noah (3.45) Sigma O. (4.00)
20.45: (1.20) Samsunspor (6.75) Hamrun (14.0)
20.45: (1.17) Shakhtar (8.00) Breidablik (14.0)
20.45: (1.80) Sparta Praha (3.50) Rakow (4.70)
23.00: (1.48) Crystal Palace (4.40) AZ Alkmaar (6.75)
23.00: (1.65) Dynamo Kyiv (3.85) Zrinjski (5.35)
23.00: (3.30) Hacken (3.50) Strasbourg (2.15)
23.00: (2.05) Lausanne (3.45) Omonia (3.60)
23.00: (6.75) Lincoln RI (4.20) Rijeka (1.50)
23.00: (1.63) Rapid (3.80) CS Universitatea (5.70)
23.00: (1.45) Rayo Vallecano (4.50) Lech Poznan (7.00)
23.00: (1.85) Shelbourne (3.50) Drita Gjilan (4.40)
23.00: (3.90) Shkendija (3.50) Jagiellonia (1.95)
***odds are subject to change***
