Crystal Palace 3–1 Nottingham Forest: How Palace Turned an Early Setback Into a Comeback Victory
Crystal Palace produced an impressive comeback to defeat Nottingham Forest 3–1 on 11 October 2026. Forest struck first through Dan Ndoye in the third minute, but Palace responded with goals from Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma and Yeremy Pino to take control of the contest.
The turning point came just before half-time, when Lerma headed Palace into the lead after Kamada had restored parity. Pino then extended the advantage in the second half, leaving Forest with too much to do despite creating several dangerous opportunities.
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Match Details
- Fixture: Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest
- Final score: Crystal Palace 3–1 Nottingham Forest
- Date: 11 October 2026
- Kick-off: 15:00
- Referee: Peter Bankes
- Half-time score: Crystal Palace 2–1 Nottingham Forest
- Venue: Not specified in the supplied match timeline
1. Nottingham Forest Struck First, but Palace Refused to Panic
The match began with Crystal Palace attempting to establish an attacking rhythm, but Nottingham Forest needed only three minutes to expose the danger they posed going forward.
Dan Ndoye connected with a pass inside the penalty area and drove the ball into the bottom-right corner. The finish gave Forest an early 1–0 lead and immediately placed Palace under pressure.
An early goal can change the entire character of a match. Palace now had to chase an equaliser, while Forest could look for opportunities to exploit the spaces created by their opponents' attacking movements.
However, Palace did not abandon their approach.
In the eighth minute, Jørgen Larsen forced Matz Sels into an excellent save from inside the box. Larsen then reacted to the rebound, but his second attempt was blocked, and Palace won a corner.
Quinten Timber also tried his luck from the edge of the penalty area in the 11th minute, although his effort flew over the bar.
These chances showed that Palace were still capable of threatening Forest's goal. The problem was converting promising attacking situations into a decisive finish.
Forest, meanwhile, remained dangerous on the counterattack and through deliveries into the penalty area.
2. Forest Created Chances to Extend Their Lead
One of the most important aspects of the first half was that Nottingham Forest had opportunities to increase their advantage before Palace equalised.
In the 21st minute, Dan Ndoye rose to meet a lofted cross, directing his header towards the roof of the net. Walter Benítez reacted brilliantly to keep the ball out.
Forest continued applying pressure. Ousmane Diomande had an effort blocked around the 22nd minute, while Daniel Muñoz sent a dangerous opportunity narrowly wide from close range in the 28th minute.
Morgan Gibbs-White came particularly close in the 35th minute when his shot struck the crossbar. Liam Delap then collected the rebound, but Benítez produced another important save to prevent Forest from scoring again.
Those moments mattered because Forest were not simply defending their early lead. They were creating chances that could have made the contest much more difficult for Palace.
MatchWhy insight: Forest had the opportunities to move two goals ahead, but their inability to finish those chances kept Palace within reach. Benítez's saves were crucial in preserving the possibility of a comeback.
Tactical Sketch 1: Forest's Early Threat
CRYSTAL PALACE GOAL
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Benítez makes saves
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Forest crosses and through passes
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Ndoye / Gibbs-White / Delap
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Palace under pressure
Forest found ways to reach dangerous positions through crosses, rebounds and attacks around the penalty area. Palace survived because their goalkeeper intervened and Forest failed to convert several promising openings.
3. Daichi Kamada Restored Parity in the 41st Minute
Crystal Palace finally found their breakthrough in the 41st minute.
Daichi Kamada received a pass in a promising position and fired the ball inside the left post to make it 1–1.
The equaliser changed the psychological balance of the game.
Forest had spent much of the opening period threatening to increase their advantage, but Kamada's goal erased the lead they had worked to establish. Palace could now attack with greater confidence, while Forest had to reconsider how to protect their defensive structure.
The timing was especially significant. With half-time approaching, an equaliser gave Palace the opportunity to build momentum rather than enter the interval behind.
Kamada's finish also demonstrated the value of Palace finding a player in a position to shoot decisively. After earlier efforts had been saved or blocked, this time the attack ended with the ball in the net.
Forest had threatened repeatedly, but Palace had responded at a crucial moment.
4. Jefferson Lerma Delivered the First-Half Turning Point
Palace did not stop at 1–1.
In the 45th minute, the home side appealed for a penalty, but the referee allowed play to continue. Palace then continued pushing forward and won a corner.
The resulting delivery found Jefferson Lerma in the right place at the right time. In the 45+4th minute, Lerma connected with a header and directed the ball into the bottom-left corner.
Crystal Palace had turned a 1–0 deficit into a 2–1 lead.
This was arguably the most important goal of the match.
Instead of entering half-time level, Palace went into the break ahead. Forest, who had created several excellent opportunities earlier, were now the team needing a response.
The goal also rewarded Palace for maintaining attacking pressure late in the first half. Their ability to make the most of a set-piece situation proved decisive.
Tactical Sketch 2: The Set-Piece Advantage
PALACE CORNER
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Delivery into the box
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Lerma attacks ball
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Powerful header
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PALACE LEAD 2–1
Set pieces can be especially valuable in closely contested matches because they allow a team to create a scoring opportunity without having to break down an organised defence through several phases of open play.
Palace took advantage of that opportunity at precisely the right time.
5. Forest Returned After Half-Time Looking for an Equaliser
Nottingham Forest needed to respond after the interval, and their early second-half activity suggested that they were not prepared to accept defeat.
Murillo headed a corner towards goal in the 49th minute, but his effort went straight into Benítez's arms.
Ola Aina then tried a first-time shot from the edge of the box in the 50th minute, although the attempt lacked accuracy.
Gibbs-White came close again in the 53rd minute, sending a strike narrowly wide of the left post. These attempts showed that Forest continued to find shooting opportunities, even after losing their first-half lead.
Palace also had their moments. Jefferson Lerma forced Sels into a save with a header in the 56th minute, and Larsen tested the goalkeeper again in the 59th minute.
The game remained open, with both teams creating opportunities.
The difference was that Palace had already established a lead and could use their attacking quality to punish Forest whenever the visitors struggled to deal with pressure.
6. Yeremy Pino Made It 3–1 in the 59th Minute
Crystal Palace's third goal arrived in the 59th minute.
Larsen received a pass inside the penalty area and unleashed a strong shot. Sels made the save, but the rebound fell into the path of Yeremy Pino, who fired the ball into the bottom-right corner.
The score was now 3–1.
The goal was important for two reasons.
First, it gave Palace a two-goal cushion. Forest could no longer equalise with a single goal, meaning they needed to score at least twice to recover a point.
Second, the goal demonstrated the importance of following up on a saved shot. Sels had done his job by stopping Larsen's effort, but the defensive sequence was not complete. Pino reacted to the loose ball before Forest could clear it.
Tactical Sketch 3: How Palace Scored the Third
Larsen receives the ball in the box
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Larsen shoots
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Sels saves
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Rebound falls loose
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Pino reacts first
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GOAL: 3–1
This was a classic example of a rebound goal. The initial shot created the opportunity, but Pino's awareness and quick reaction completed the move.
Palace had now scored three times despite conceding early, and the match was increasingly moving in their favour.
7. Forest's Missed Chances Made the Comeback More Difficult
Even at 3–1, Nottingham Forest continued to look for a route back into the contest.
Dan Ndoye missed a promising opportunity from close range in the 65th minute. Neco Williams then sent an effort narrowly wide in the 68th minute, while Gibbs-White struggled to find the right final pass in the 78th minute.
Forest also introduced attacking options as the second half progressed, including Chris Wood, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Arnaud Kalimuendo. Their substitutions offered fresh legs and additional attacking possibilities, but Forest could not find another goal.
One of their clearest late opportunities arrived in the 81st minute.
Wood rose to meet a cross and directed a close-range header towards the roof of the net. Benítez produced another excellent save, preventing Forest from reducing the deficit.
That intervention was a reminder that the contest was not completely settled in terms of chances. Forest still had moments when they could have made the closing stages more uncomfortable for Palace.
However, the visitors' finishing remained a problem, and Benítez continued to deliver when required.
The key difference was not that Forest created no chances. It was that Palace converted more of their decisive opportunities and received important goalkeeping contributions when Forest threatened.
8. How Crystal Palace Managed the Closing Stages
As the match entered its final stages, Palace made substitutions of their own, introducing Eddie Nketiah, Ismaïla Sarr, Honest Ahanor and Dwight McNeil at different points.
These changes refreshed the team while helping Palace manage the final period.
Forest continued attempting to deliver crosses into the penalty area, but Palace's defence repeatedly intercepted or cleared the danger. Neco Williams and James McAtee were involved in late attacking situations, including a corner in stoppage time, but the visitors could not produce another goal.
Murillo received a yellow card in the 90+4th minute, and the referee blew for full-time shortly afterwards.
Crystal Palace had completed a 3–1 comeback victory.
MatchWhy Tactical Breakdown
1. Palace's response mattered more than the early setback
Conceding in the third minute could have unsettled Palace, but the team continued creating chances and eventually found an equaliser through Kamada.
The response was important because it prevented Forest from controlling the game through their early advantage.
2. The timing of Lerma's goal changed the match
Palace's second goal arrived deep into first-half stoppage time. That gave the home side a half-time lead and placed the responsibility for chasing the match on Forest.
The psychological value of scoring immediately before the interval should not be underestimated.
3. Rebounds became decisive
Pino's goal came after Sels had saved Larsen's shot. Palace were alert to the second ball, while Forest failed to prevent the rebound from becoming another scoring opportunity.
4. Benítez helped protect Palace's advantage
Forest created several dangerous chances, including efforts from Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Delap and Wood. Benítez's saves prevented those opportunities from turning into goals.
His contribution was particularly important because Forest continued threatening even after Palace moved ahead.
5. Forest's finishing let them down
Forest had chances to extend their early lead and later reduce Palace's advantage. Their inability to convert those opportunities meant that Palace could maintain a two-goal margin.
The visitors' attacking activity was not enough to change the scoreline.
Players Who Shaped the Match
Daichi Kamada — Crystal Palace
Kamada scored the equaliser in the 41st minute. His goal restored Palace's belief and provided the foundation for the comeback.
Jefferson Lerma — Crystal Palace
Lerma's 45+4th-minute header gave Palace the lead just before half-time. The timing made his goal one of the defining moments of the match.
Yeremy Pino — Crystal Palace
Pino reacted quickest to Larsen's saved shot and scored Palace's third goal. His finish gave the home side breathing room and made Forest's task significantly harder.
Walter Benítez — Crystal Palace
Benítez produced several important saves, particularly during Forest's first-half pressure and Wood's late header. His interventions helped Palace preserve their advantage.
Dan Ndoye — Nottingham Forest
Ndoye gave Forest the early lead and remained involved in dangerous attacking situations. However, Forest could not build on his opening goal.
Morgan Gibbs-White — Nottingham Forest
Gibbs-White threatened around the penalty area, including an effort that struck the crossbar in the first half. Forest needed to convert more of these opportunities to get a result.
Why Nottingham Forest Lost
Forest's defeat was not simply a result of being outplayed throughout the entire match. The supplied timeline shows that they created several excellent scoring opportunities, especially before half-time.
Their problems were more specific.
- They failed to extend the early lead. Ndoye's goal gave Forest a promising start, but further chances went unfinished.
- They conceded at a damaging time. Kamada equalised in the 41st minute, and Lerma scored in stoppage time to put Palace ahead before the break.
- They allowed Palace to score from a rebound. After Sels saved Larsen's shot, Pino converted the loose ball.
- They could not beat Benítez consistently. Several dangerous attempts were stopped by the Palace goalkeeper.
- Their late pressure produced no additional goal. Despite substitutions and continued crosses, Forest finished with only one goal.
Forest showed enough attacking threat to make the match competitive, but their finishing and defensive reactions at key moments cost them.
What Crystal Palace Can Take From the Victory
Palace will take confidence from the way they responded to conceding early. Their comeback demonstrated the importance of remaining composed, continuing to create opportunities and capitalising on decisive moments.
The team also benefited from a valuable combination of attacking execution and goalkeeping. Kamada and Lerma turned the scoreline around before half-time, Pino added the third, and Benítez made important saves to prevent Forest from mounting another comeback.
However, Forest's chances also provide a reminder that Palace cannot afford to become complacent after taking the lead. Against a more clinical opponent, allowing so many promising opportunities could have produced a different result.
The Match in One Sentence
Crystal Palace turned an early deficit into a 3–1 victory by equalising through Daichi Kamada, taking the lead through Jefferson Lerma just before half-time, and using Yeremy Pino's rebound finish and Walter Benítez's saves to keep Nottingham Forest at bay.
Final Takeaway
Crystal Palace's 3–1 win over Nottingham Forest was a story of resilience, timing and taking advantage of decisive moments.
Forest began brightly and had opportunities to strengthen their lead, but Palace stayed in the contest. Kamada's equaliser restored parity, Lerma's late first-half header changed the momentum, and Pino's second-half finish gave Palace a two-goal cushion.
Benítez then played his part by denying Forest on several occasions, including a dangerous header from Chris Wood late in the match.
For Palace, the victory showed the value of responding calmly to adversity and making important chances count. For Forest, it was a frustrating afternoon in which promising attacking moments were not converted into enough goals.
Final score: Crystal Palace 3–1 Nottingham Forest.
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