May 11 2021

Christian Benteke

Crystal Palace threw away an early lead to lose 3-1 at Southampton.

Christian Benteke scored after just two minutes for the second successive game following his effort against Sheffield United last time out.

The Belgian took down a high ball in the area and fired into the bottom corner for his eighth league goal of the season.

DANNy Ings levelled for Southampton with a neat turn and poke inside the post in the 19th minute.

Before the break, Luka Milivojevic wasted a chance to put Palace back in front when his weak penalty was saved by Fraser Forster after Wilfried Zaha was felled in the box.

Che Adams put the Saints 2-1 up on 48 minutes with a close-range finish at the back post off a well-worked corner.

Then Ings made the game safe for his second of the night by slipping past SCOTT DANN to fire home in the 75th minute.

Southampton: Forster, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Stephens, Ward-Prowse, Ings (Obafemi 76), Adams, Redmond, Armstrong, Minamino, Bednarek (Salisu 46).

Not used: McCarthy, Djenpo, Tella, Diallo, Walcott, N’Lundulu, Ferry.

Palace: Guaita, Ward, DANN, Kouyate, Mitchell, Riedewald, Milivojevic (Schlupp 65), Ayew (Batshuayi 72), Eze, Zaha, Benteke (Mateta 78).

Not used: Butland, Van Aanholt, Townsend, McCarthy, Cahill, Kelly.