OLIVER GLASNER and Crystal Palace success go hand in hand – even when he is managing their pantomime rivals.
The Austrian’s return to Selhurst Park as chief of Public Enemy No1 Nottingham Forest started well enough when Dan Ndoye gave the visitors an early lead.
But it descended into a nightmare as Glasner’s old side hit back through Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma and Yeremy Pino.
Glasner is Palace’s most successful ever manager thanks to FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League triumphs.
Yet the 52-year-old was forced to endure gleeful chants of “Glasner, what’s the score” and even “You’re getting sacked in the morning” by the fans who once loved him.
For those not up to speed with Palace and Forest’s bitter recent rivalry, here is a quick run-down.
Glasner led Palace to their first-ever major trophy with FA Cup glory in 2025, landing a place in the Europa League.
But the South Londoners were demoted to the Conference League due to then co-owner John Textor also having a stake in Lyon, thereby contravening multi-club rules.
Forest, who finished seventh that season, wrote to Uefa to flag up the issue and were subsequently handed Palace’s Europa League spot.
Enraged Eagles fans held up a banner depicting Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis holding a gun to the head of club captain Morgan Gibbs-White, who had seen a move to Spurs fall through.
Marinakis is now suing Palace for defamation and though the Eagles went on to win the Conference League under Glasner, there remains bad blood.
The mood of Palace supporters was not improved when their idol Glasner pitched up as Forest’s new boss before the Austrian then took star defender Daniel Munoz with him.
Yet both Glasner and Munoz were treated to a hero’s welcome back to Selhurst – before kick-off, at least.
Home fans classily applauded Glasner as he walked pitchside to take his place in the dugout.
While 30-year-old Munoz, signed for Forest in a £22million deal, had his name applauded when it was read out on the loudspeaker pre-match.
There were no incendiary banners as no flags were permitted by Palace at the game.
But Eagles supporters did sing “F*** Marinakis” and called the Forest owner “you fat b*****d”.
Marinakis was not in attendance – he never seems to come to this game – but wherever he was watching, the Greek supremo would have had a big beaming smile early on.
That is because within three minutes his side took the lead thanks to a big gaffe from the man signed to replace Munoz.
Right wing-back Anan Khalaili put his team bang in trouble with a weak header back towards his goalkeeper from Ola Aina’s punt upfield.
It allowed the fleet-footed Ndoye to glide through towards goal and roll the ball into the far corner, giving Glasner the perfect start.
Khalaili almost made up for it straight away as he picked out Jorgen Strand Larsen – one of Glasner’s final signings as Palace chief – but the burly Norwegian was denied by Matz Sels’ excellent save.
From there Forest dominated the majority of the rest of the first half and it was a wonder Glasner’s side did not score again before the interval.
First, the excellent Gibbs-White won the ball out wide and swung in a superb cross which Ndoye should have headed home but he could not beat Walter Benitez.
Next, Munoz was given a golden opportunity to mark his comeback with a goal but he steered an effort the wrong side of the post.
Finally, and most remarkably, Liam Delap’s explosive, close-range rebound after Gibbs-White shot had cannoned off the crossbar was somehow repelled by Benitez.
Delap hit the ball so hard that back-up keeper Benitez – playing in the absence of injured England stopper Dean Henderson – fell down a few minutes later clutching his chest and had to have treatment.
There was growing disquiet in the home section over how badly their team was being dominated.
And then, out of nowhere, Palace turned it all around.
Their leveller came on 41 minutes when Strand Larsen flicked on to Quinten Timber who did enough to prompt Kamada’s gleeful prodded finish.
Then four minutes into first-half stoppage time the hosts went ahead as Lerma scrambled home an Adam Wharton corner.
Moments earlier Khalaili had been denied a possible penalty, following a robust challenge by Murillo.
It led to Palace fans serenading ref Peter Bankes with a chant of “Has the fat man paid you off?”, presumably in reference to Marinakis.
Forest had little in reply after the break and just before the hour, it was 3-1.
Strand Larsen had a shot saved but Pino was there to steer home the rebound, prompting the home fans to taunt their old boss Glasner from the sidelines.
Delap had a second belting chance to reduce the scoreline when he powered a close-range header at goal with ten minutes to go, but he was repelled by another fine Benitez stop.
The powerful striker looked bemused to be denied again, but not as befuddled as Glasner appeared after unwittingly overseeing one last Palace victory.
