Crystal Palace vs Burnley Predictions

• Both teams have scored in 12 of Palace’s last 14 league matches
• Both teams have scored in five of Burnley’s last six league matches
• Palace have won only two of their last 14 league matches

Glasner hoping for a winning start

Oliver Glasner is gearing up for his first game as Crystal Palace manager and it poses an excellent opportunity for a winning start as second-bottom Burnley are the visitors to Selhurst Park.

Glasner watched on from the stands as his new Palace recruits held Everton to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Monday and there were plenty of positives to take from the performance considering star men Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise were missing.

The Austrian would love to have Eze and Olise fit but those two remain sidelined and their absence leaves Palace short on creativity and firepower.

Glasner must cope with the hand he has been dealt for the meantime and, while his arrival is likely to trigger an upturn in both performance and form, it is hard to side with them at odds-on.

That is because the Eagles have won only two of their last 14 league matches, the latest of which was a 3-2 victory at home to bottom club Sheffield United when Eze and Olise were both on the scoresheet.

Since that victory, Palace have lost 4-1 at Brighton, 3-1 at home to Chelsea while being held to that recent 1-1 draw with the Toffees.

Suspect defences could be exposed

That means both teams have scored in 12 of their last 14 league matches, the exceptions being a 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal and a 2-0 reverse at home to Bournemouth.

The goals have also been rattling in whenever Burnley have taken to the field, with both teams scoring in five of their last six league matches.

The reason Burnley find themselves at relegation risk is because of their defensive deficiencies, which was evident in last weekend’s 5-0 loss at home to Arsenal.

That means Vincent Kompany’s Clarets have conceded 55 goals in 25 games, managing only two clean sheets, and that leaves them seven points adrift of survival.

Relegation is looking increasingly likely for Burnley so they have nothing to lose at Selhurst Park in what is realistically a must-win contest for them.

Avoiding defeat key for hosts

Palace, who are five points above the bottom three, have to be more mindful of avoiding defeat and it will be interesting to see how Glasner approaches the task.

So while Palace would like to have Eze and Olise causing havoc from midfield, there is still hope that they can breach this suspect Burnley defence.

But the Eagles have conceded in eight straight home league games and Everton did have 19 shots last time out, so keeping the visitors at bay may be beyond them.

Both teams to score looks the best value on offer and correct-score backers should side with a 1-1 draw, a result in which Palace would probably not be too disconcerted with.