Crystal Palace are set for their fourth mid-season friendly on Friday evening, with the Premier League outfit taking on La Liga side Real Valladolid at Selhurst Park.
In their last encounter, the Eagles lost 3-1 against Napoli, while the previous match for the visitors was a goalless draw against Clermont Foot.
Match preview
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In their preparations for the resumption of the Premier League season, Palace have been involved in a series of friendly matches to regain match fitness, next in competitive action at home to Fulham on Boxing Day.
Although the results of the matches will not be deemed as important as the team getting match practice, Patrick Vieira may be a little disappointed that his side are winless in their previous three encounters.
The first match that the Eagles contested finished goalless against Botafogo, fielding an experimental team, with youngsters Malcolm Ebiowei, Sean Grehan and Tayo Adaramola all getting minutes.
Following that, Palace drew 2-2 with Trabzonspor, with Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta both getting on the scoresheet, before losing 3-1 against first-placed Serie A side Napoli in Turkey, despite Wilfried Zaha opening the scoring.
With the side from South London winning three of their last four Premier League matches before the season was paused for the World Cup, they currently sit 11th in the standings, and Vieira will be hoping to use this final friendly match as a catapult to continue their impressive domestic form.
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Valladolid are also close to returning to action, and they face the mammoth task of hosting reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid in their opening league game, after taking on Arenas Club in the Copa del Rey.
Pucela have managed to squeeze in one more friendly game amid the season being suspended for the Qatar World Cup, now set for their fifth match when they travel to England on Friday, having initially taken on fellow Spanish side Getafe, winning 1-0, before losing 2-0 to Athletic Bilbao.
Pacheta's side then faced off against two French opponents, losing 2-0 against Lille, before the aforementioned 0-0 draw against Clermont Foot took place on Tuesday.
In terms of their La Liga form, Valladolid have been performing pretty well for a newly-promoted side, currently 12th in the table, a healthy six points clear of the relegation zone, in a good position to avoid their unfortunate fate in the 2020-21 season.
Recent performances have been impressive to boot, with Pucela securing victories in four of their last six matches, most recently defeating Barbadas-Bentraces 2-0 in the Copa del Rey, with Sergio Leon firing home after an own goal had initially provided them with a lead.
Team News
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Crystal Palace will have to make do without Nathan Ferguson, who is suffering with a muscle injury, so the likes of Marc Guehi and James Tomkins are in contention to start at the heart of the defence.
That duo featuring at centre-back is also made more likely by Chris Richards not yet being back to full fitness after recently returning from a hamstring issue.
James McArthur is out until early January with a hip injury, so Will Hughes and Luka Milivojevic could start in central midfield, while Odsonne Edouard could come into the attack to get some more match practice before the season resumes.
Having featured in all four friendly matches, scoring their only goal, Valladolid striker Roberto Arroyo may lead the line once more, joining Shon Weissman and Juan Narvaez in a front three.
Lucas Rosa could come into the defence to offer a little more experience than Diego Moreno, while Oscar Plano may replace Roque Mesa in the midfield.
Pucela will still be without Anuar, who has a ligament issue, while Kenedy is a doubt due to a groin injury which has ruled him out since the end of September.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Butland; Clyne, Guehi, Tomkins, Ward, Schlupp; Milivojevic, Hughes, Olise, Eze; Edouard
Real Valladolid possible starting lineup:
Asenjo; Feddal, Rosa, Fresneda, Fernandez; Malsa, Perez, Plano; Narvaez, Weissmann, Arroyo
We say: Crystal Palace 2-0 Real Valladolid
Crystal Palace should be able to secure their first friendly win of the mid-season break, given their home advantage against the La Liga side. The Eagles have performed well in the Premier League in recent matches, while the visitors are without a goal in their last three games.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Dominic Lund
