Crystal Palace readies for Como Cup pre-season friendlies

Crystal Palace will play two 45‑minute matches in the Como Cup pre‑season tournament at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium. New manager Pierre Sage, who succeeded Oliver Glasner, is looking to recover from a 3‑0 defeat to League One side Bromley and to assess his squad ahead of the 2026‑27 season.

The first friendly pits Palace against Portuguese Primeira Liga club Famalicão, who enter the tournament unbeaten in pre‑season with five consecutive clean sheets and seven goals scored, mostly against lower‑level opposition. The second match sees Palace face French Ligue 1 side Lens, who are also under a new head coach, Dino Toppmoller. Both opponents seek to continue their summer unbeaten runs, while Palace hopes to improve defensively and regain confidence.

Each fixture consists of a single half of play, with the results determining group placement before a full‑time match later in the week.