August 3 2019

Luka whips in a free kick during the first half

Crystal Palace's last pre-season fixture was one to forget, losing 0-4 to German side Hertha Berlin at Selhurst Park.

With the high of beating Bristol City last weekend 5-0, this was definitely a big low for the Eagles, who looked lethargic and leggy and often had no answers to Berlin's build up play.

It could have been a very different story after 10 minutes though, when Christian Benteke had the ball in the back of the net, but was correctly adjudged to be offside.

Scott Dann then headed against the post, and Jordan Ayew, who was playing his first game for Palace since signing on a permanent deal, hit the side netting with a shot.

It was all rather downhill from there and Berlin scored their first goal just before half time through Marvin Plattenhardt.

The Eagles made just one change during the break, with Wayne Hennessey replacing Vicente Guaita in goal.

Berlin doubled their lead shortly after the restart through Vedad Ibisevic who finished at the far post, from a beautifully weighted cross from the left.

It went from bad to worse in the 76th minute when Max Mittelstadt scored the visitor's third goal, an effort towards goal which took a heavy deflection off Martin Kelly.

To compound Palace's misery, Wayne Hennessey was adjudged to have fouled Davie Selke when he burst through into the box in the 82nd minute, and the German striker converted the following penalty to make it a sorry 4-0 loss for the hosts.

Palace will have to pick themselves up and put in a much improved performance next Saturday when they start their Premier League campaign against Everton back at Selhurst.

Palace: Guaita (Hennessey 45), Van Aanholt, Dann, Kelly, Ward, Meyer (Pierrick 83), Milivojevic, McArthur, Townsend (Dreher 83), Ayew (Wickham 75), Benteke.

Subs not used: Hennessey, Hobbs, Tavares, Riedewald.

Hertha: Jarstein (Kraft 46), Klünter (Friede 68), Stark, Rekik, Plattenhardt, Darida (Covic 68), Duda (Skjelbred 61), Grujic (Löwen 61) - Kalou (Selke 61), Ibisevic (Leckie 61), Mittelstädt

2019/20 match reports

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