Sage Tells Crystal Palace to 'Show Our Real Face' at Besiktas as Injury Crisis Bites

Pierre Sage has challenged his Crystal Palace players to quickly forget their humbling defeat to bitter rivals Brighton and "show our real face" against Besiktas on matchday three of their Europa League campaign, even as the under-pressure boss confirmed he will travel to Turkey without three influential players.

A season unravelling at Selhurst Park

The Eagles were thumped 5-0 by Brighton on Sunday, finding themselves 3-0 down inside 10 minutes, with Diego Gomez scoring the pick of the bunch from distance. Sage's side have now conceded 17 goals across their opening seven Premier League matches — Palace last shipped more at this stage of a top-flight season in 1980-81 — and the capitulation has fuelled speculation about the Frenchman's future at Selhurst Park.

Sage, who described the Brighton loss as a "shame" in prior reporting, acknowledged there is no time to dwell on the setback with a hostile away night looming.

Sage: 'We have to be better on each side of the game'

"Sometimes we have to switch quickly, and it's the case this time," Sage told reporters. "We have to forget this [defeat] quickly.

"Now we have to show our real face in a big atmosphere, especially here against a good team. That's a good challenge for us.

"We have different problems, and sometimes we resolve one, and then you create a new one. That's why we have to be better on each side of the game, and to be more consistent in what we do, in what we believe, in what we are stable in."

Tough night expected in Istanbul

Things do not get any easier for the Palace boss. A trip to the Tupras Stadyumu awaits on Thursday, with the visitors looking to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat at Lyon in their previous European outing.

This will be Palace's first game against a side from Turkiye since they faced Samsunspor in the 1998 Intertoto Cup, when they were beaten 2-0 both at home and away. Palace have not lost back-to-back games in European competition, including qualifiers, since those defeats.

Besiktas and Palace have never previously met in any competition. The Turkish giants last faced English opponents in the 2019-20 Europa League, losing both home and away against Wolves, but they have been formidable at home in Europe this season, winning all four of their home matches — three in Europa League qualifiers and a 4-1 win over Marseille on matchday one. They have never previously won five in a row at home in European competition.

Three key men missing for Palace

Palace's hopes of silencing the raucous atmosphere expected in Istanbul have been dented, with Sage confirming he will be without three key players for the trip.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Quinten Timber and Dean Henderson are all absent, but Ben Chilwell, who has missed Palace's last three games, returns to the fold.

"Ben Chilwell is back," Sage added. "Tomiyasu is out until the next international break because he has another injury. Dean started to train with the team on Monday, so we will see this weekend if he's able to play, but he's not with us for tomorrow. We have Quinten Timber, who is out too."