Berlin Under-21 coach Oliver Glasner wasn’t impressed after his side’s 5-2 defeat to surprise table-toppers Leeds United. In a match held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at 22:46 UK time, Crystal Palace conceded a total of four goals, all resulting from set-plays.
After the match, Glasner was critical in his analysis, calling the result “embarrassing.” He attributed the team’s failures to their loss of discipline. It was poor organization on set-piece situations that would prove their undoing. It was a tough loss that was felt deeply by all the players and coaching staff.
It was telling that Crystal Palace had issues holding their defensive shape even just over the course of the match. Leeds took advantage of this weakness, scoring four goals from different set-play situations. Many of the team’s defensive strategies are coming under fire. These concerns arise from their repeated failures at set-pieces since Glasner took charge.
Glasner made clear that there is room for improvement on all of these fronts. He stated that such lapses in concentration could not be tolerated if the team aimed to compete effectively in the league. The manager’s words frame a pivotal season for Palace. They are hell bent on improving their defensive lapses going into their next few games.
The match itself was a tactical triumph for Leeds, who took control early on, fully exploiting Crystal Palace’s deficiencies. Every single one of these goals was a harsh warning for the need of slightly more set-piece planning and awareness. Glasner acknowledged the urgency in addressing these defensive flaws. He thinks that will be instrumental as they prepare for the next games over the next few weeks.
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