PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Palace will hope for a repeat performance of their meeting at Selhurst Park in November, when Wilfried Zaha and Conor Gallagher were on the scoresheet to give the Eagles back-to-back home victories against Wolves for the first time since November 1969.
Their last victory at Molineux came in January 2019, as Jordan Ayew and Luka Milivojevic scored late on.
PREVIEW
Victory in the FA Cup meant it was a successful midweek for the Eagles as they booked their place in the last eight of the competition, just 90 minutes from a trip to Wembley in the semi-finals.
However, despite the result Patrick Vieira was keen to emphasise to his squad that their performances will have to improve if they are to have continued success towards the end of the season.
“I was really disappointed with how we played today,” he said after the game. “We didn’t use the ball, we didn’t create chances and we didn’t defend well as a team. If we want to go further, we need to play better.”
He will hope that starts with a trip to the Black Country, and Palace’s recent away form is encouraging. They are unbeaten in five on the road since Boxing Day, most recently in an emphatic victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.
After a summer of significant transition, not just among the management staff but with a high turnover among the squad, an FA Cup quarter-final and a mid-table Premier League position will be seen as a success for Vieira’s side.
Sitting in 11th place, albeit having played more games than the teams below, Palace are nine points clear of the relegation zone with a third of the season left to play, and just five points behind Southampton in ninth.
Their opponents have really kicked on under Bruno Lage, with Wolves flying high in eighth and still challenging for European football.
Recent results have been a setback, with defeats to Arsenal and West Ham a blow to their ambitions to play across the continent next season – however victories over Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in previous outings show they can defeat some of the league’s strongest sides.
Palace can make it just one defeat in six if they get a result at Molineux.
TACTICAL OVERVIEW
Palace showed their flexibility against Stoke once again, with Michael Olise slipping into the No 10 position that he had occupied against Chelsea, with Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha on either side of him. Should Vieira return to a three man midfield, Olise could move to the right to accommodate the reintroduction of Conor Gallagher in a central position.
Max Kilman has become a key part of Lage’s system at Molineux, alongside Conor Coady and Roman Saiss in a three-man defensive unit. In midfield, Ruben Neves pulls the strings, with Joao Moutinho or Leandro Dendoncker to support him, while Hwang Hee-Chan has had an impact in attack since making his move permanent in January.
MATCH DETAILS
- Saturday, 5th March
- 15:00 GMT
- Molineux
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+
HOW TO FOLLOW
ON PALACE TV+
Live audio commentary Wolves v Palace will be available on Palace TV+, a subscription service which gives subscribers live access to selected Academy match broadcasts, live audio commentary of all league and cup first-team games, and much more.
Find out more by clicking here.
SOCIAL MEDIA
You can check out our Instagram story for all of the pre-match build-up and our official Twitter page is bringing you up-to-the-minute match updates, eye-catching photos and more.
Our club website, cpfc.co.uk, is the place to go for team news on the dot, an instant report and all the post-match votes.
THE OFFICIAL APP
The official Palace app’s match centre is the place to be for everything you need during the Wolves clash. With live stats and alerts, a running match commentary feed and lineups the moment they’re released as well as an instant match report and post-match reaction from Palace TV+, there’s no need to leave the app to follow the Eagles’ efforts.
Download our app for free here!
