Allahyar Sayyadmanesh has joined Lech Poznań in London and could make his debut in Thursday's Europa League match against Crystal Palace. This marks Lech's first appearance in the competition in six years, while for their opponents it is a historic Europa League debut. Coach Niels Frederiksen confirmed the striker's visa is sorted and nothing prevents him from playing at Selhurst Park.
Lech Poznań, sitting 3rd in the Ekstraklasa with 16 points after a 2-1 weekend loss to Górnik Zabrze, face a Premier League side. Sayyadmanesh, the team's top scorer this season with four goals, will bolster the attack. "We must adapt to such a good opponent as Crystal Palace, but we do not want to change too much in our game," said Frederiksen. "We want to preserve our identity, preserve our philosophy of play."
The Danish manager acknowledged the gap in league quality but said anything can be overcome in a single match. He stressed the team has a plan after analysing a Crystal Palace side that has conceded 11 goals in four Premier League games and sits 16th. "When you play against a Premier League team, you know you will be dealing with high quality," Frederiksen added. "It could even be one of the biggest matches in the club’s history regarding European cups."
In midfield, Radosław Murawski is fit and could play up to 90 minutes. Terry Yegbe and Mateusz Skrzypczak are competing for a starting spot. Portuguese defender Joel Pereira is excited. "Since childhood I have watched the Premier League and one of my dreams was to play against such an opponent," Pereira says. "I like the stadium, the pitch, the whole atmosphere."
The match is scheduled for Thursday, 17 September, at 21:00. After the European night, Lech travel to face 13th-placed Wisła Płock on Sunday, 17 December. The full fixture list and current Ekstraklasa standings can be checked on our fixtures and standings pages.
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