crawley town vs crystal palace

Crawley Town host Premier League side Crystal Palace at Broadfield Stadium for a pre-season friendly on July 25, 2025, drawing plenty of intrigue as both teams continue preparations for their upcoming campaigns[1]. The match, which kicks off at 19:30 BST and is available to watch live on Palace TV+, marks the third consecutive pre-season meeting between the two clubs[5].

Crystal Palace enter the fixture on the back of a strong pre-season run, unbeaten in their last ten matches and notching standout results, including wins over Manchester City (1-0), Wolves (4-2), and Aston Villa (3-0)[2]. They have established a pattern of dominance in these encounters, winning the previous two friendlies against Crawley by an aggregate score of 10-3[3]. A handful of international stars—Eberechi Eze, Dean Henderson, Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, and Ismaïla Sarr—are set to feature for Palace for the first time in the 2025/26 season after extended summer breaks[5].

Crawley Town, meanwhile, have showcased attacking prowess in pre-season, securing high-scoring wins over lower-tier opponents but also displaying defensive inconsistency against stronger teams, exemplified by defeats to Portsmouth and Southampton U21[2]. Manager Scott Lindsey will be looking for more stability ahead of League Two’s early start on August 2[4].

The hosts will look to Ben Gladwin for leadership in midfield, while Palace will likely rely on Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose prolific form poses a significant threat[1]. Recent history strongly favors Palace: they are unbeaten in their last nine matches and have scored heavily against Crawley in previous seasons[3].

Predictions from several outlets suggest a comfortable victory for Palace, with one tipping a 5-1 away win[3] and another forecasting a 3-0 success for the Premier League visitors[4]. Crawley, however, have managed to score in each of their last five pre-season matches, offering some encouragement for the home crowd[3].

For fans wanting to watch, the match is sold out in-person, but Palace TV+ offers streaming, including access to all Palace pre-season fixtures for the summer[5].

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