Crystal Palace were held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Besiktas in a Europa League group stage match at the Tupras Stadium in Istanbul on Thursday. The result extended Besiktas’s unbeaten home run this season but saw Palace miss an opportunity to secure a morale-boosting victory amid ongoing defensive struggles.

Jean-Philippe Mateta returned to the starting lineup for Palace following a hamstring injury and made an immediate impact. He opened the scoring in the second half by capitalizing on a poor back pass, striking into the top corner. Mateta’s goal marked his first for Palace since the opening game of the Premier League season. Earlier, Mateta had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside and created several other chances during the match.

Despite Palace’s attacking promise and resilience, defensive errors proved costly. Just before halftime, Besiktas went ahead through Wilfried Ndidi, who finished expertly after a long ball found him unmarked behind Palace’s defence. The Eagles countered strongly early in the second half, with Yérémy Pino equalizing from a cross by Anan Khalaili before Mateta’s goal put Palace ahead.

However, Palace’s vulnerability at the back resurfaced when Khalaili’s weak clearance was intercepted by Junior Olaitan, who scored from distance to level the match. Besiktas had already been reduced to 10 men after Umit Akdag received a second yellow card late in the game for a reckless tackle on Palace’s striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who himself suffered a serious-seeming injury shortly after coming on as a substitute for Mateta.

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage acknowledged the effort demonstrated by his players but highlighted concentration lapses as the reason for the dropped points. “The lads gave a lot and deserved better, but a lack of concentration during one minute at the end of the first half and again when we were 2-1 up cost us,” Sage said. He also pointed out that the team’s performance represented an improvement compared to their recent heavy defeat in the Premier League.

Despite this, defensive frailties have remained a persistent issue for Crystal Palace since Sage took charge last summer. The team came into the game with the Premier League’s worst defensive record and consistent errors at crucial moments continue to undermine promising performances.

Besiktas, who had won all eight of their previous home matches this season, largely struggled to cope with Palace’s high pressing and attacking intent but capitalized effectively on the English side’s defensive lapses. With the draw, Palace now have four points from three Europa League matches, leaving their European campaign progressing but far from secure.

The match underscored the need for Palace to shore up their defence if they are to improve results both domestically and in Europe, as well as relieve growing pressure on Sage’s managerial position.