Kamada rescues a point for ten-man Crystal Palace against Hoffenheim
Daichi Kamada's 91st-minute goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim after Adam Wharton was sent off and the visitors had led from the seventh minute.
By Harvey Watkins,
Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park Stadium on Thursday evening in their fourth Europa League group match. Daichi Kamada equalised in the 91st minute. Palace had trailed since the seventh minute and had been down to ten men since the 77th.
Hoffenheim led for 84 minutes and finished with a point. Palace spent most of the evening behind, then the last stretch a player short, and still came away with a draw. Both clubs left with the same result, but it will not have felt that way.
An early lead for the visitors
Alexander Prass put Hoffenheim ahead after seven minutes. A goal that early set the pattern for the rest of the match. From then on Palace were the side needing to score, and Hoffenheim were the side protecting a lead.
No further goal came for more than an hour. Whatever Palace attempted in that period, the scoreline stayed at 0-1 through half-time and well into the second half.
Wharton's dismissal
In the 77th minute Adam Wharton received a second yellow card and was sent off. At that stage Palace were still a goal behind, with roughly a quarter of an hour of normal time left. It was hard to see the dismissal as anything other than a serious setback. Chasing an equaliser is difficult enough with eleven players. Doing it with ten makes it harder.
For Hoffenheim, the advantage looked decisive. They had a lead, an extra player and not much time left to see out. Matches in that position usually finish the way they stand.
A late equaliser
This one did not. Kamada scored in the 91st minute, beyond the end of normal time, and levelled the match at 1-1. It was Palace's only goal of the night, and it came after they had gone down to ten men, which makes it more notable.
Hoffenheim will see two points dropped from a winning position. They led from the seventh minute until the 91st and had a numerical advantage for the final stretch. Even so, they could not add a second goal to make the match safe, and a one-goal lead stays vulnerable for as long as it lasts.
What the result shows
A single scoreline does not support firm conclusions about either side. The broad shape is clear enough, though. Hoffenheim started sharply and were in control of the scoreline for almost the entire match. Palace never led, lost a player and still found a goal in added time.
Two things stood out. Palace kept going after Wharton's dismissal and got their reward at the very end. Hoffenheim had a lead and an extra player but could not turn them into a win. The draw leaves the two clubs level on the night. On the evidence of the timeline, each had its own reason to feel differently about it.