Pino's Brace Sinks Forest as Palace Celebrates Glasner's Return

Oliver Glasner probably wished he had picked a different day for his return to London. Dressed in a black bomber jacket that screamed ‘doorman’, the Nottingham Forest head coach was met with a warm welcome from Crystal Palace fans who once adored him. But that goodwill seemed to fade quickly as Crystal Palace’s players handed Dan Ndoye a gift of a goal just three minutes in. Forest stumbled through a shaky first half, unable to convert their early lead into a stronger advantage. Thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Walter Benítez, who stood tall against a relentless Palace side, the visitors found a spark that ignited a thrilling comeback. The irony of Daichi Kamada, a player Glasner brought to Palace after their successful stint together at Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring his first Premier League goal to equalize was certainly not lost on the Austrian coach. Meanwhile, Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has had his share of public spats with Palace’s Steve Parish, was nowhere to be seen in the directors' box, likely feeling the heat from the unfolding drama. The atmosphere turned tense as Palace fans let their frustrations be known, chanting against UEFA and Marinakis while Forest supporters cheered, “We’ve got Ollie Glasner.” Just two minutes in, Forest took the lead courtesy of a mistake from Anan Khalaili, allowing Ndoye to race through and finish past Benítez. Despite Forest's early dominance, they couldn’t capitalize on their chances, with Matz Sels denying the likes of Jørgen Strand Larsen. Each time Palace seemed to falter, Benítez would step up, making a stunning double save to keep the match alive. But just before halftime, Kamada scored from close range, leveling the score and turning the tide. Suddenly, the confidence surged for Palace. Lerma put them ahead with a scrappy goal from a corner, sending Glasner down the tunnel at halftime with a frown. Set-piece defending, a notorious issue for Palace, almost cost them again when Gibbs-White hit the post. The second half saw Forest struggle to regain their footing. Lerma continued to cause chaos, and after some quick passing, Yéremy Pino found himself in the right spot to tap in the rebound and secure the win for Palace. Even as Palace fans taunted Glasner with cries of “What’s the score?”, Forest couldn’t find an answer, and the match ended with them thoroughly outplayed.