Fulham vs Crystal Palace LIVE: Mateta begins as crew information revealed for FA Cup quarter-final conflict
Fulham play host to Crystal Palace in an intriguing contest to determine which of the two Premier League clubs make it into the FA Cup semi-finals.
Marco Silva’s side have been a delightful surprise in the top flight this season and, currently sitting in eighth, they have a strong chance of securing a place in Europe next season. They sit four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and the FA Cup presents a solid opportunity to win silverware too.
The Cottagers are bidding to reach their first FA Cup semi-final since 2001/02 and will be wary of a Palace side that defeated then 2-0 in the league just over a month ago.
Oliver Glasner’s Eagles have been in fine form of late and hope to reach a second final in nine seasons after their loss to Manchester United in 2016.
Follow all the action and updates from Craven Cottage with our live blog below:
Both teams eyeing a rare FA Cup final appearance
Fulham reached their only final in 1975, where they were beaten 2-0 by West Ham, while Palace have been beaten twice in the final by Manchester United.
The first time was in 1990, when they drew 3-3 with the Red Devils at Wembley, before Lee Martin scored the only goal of the game in the replay – a result which many say kept Sir Alex Ferguson in his job.
The same two sides met 26 years later and on that occasion United ran out 2-1 winners after extra time to lift the trophy for the 12th time.
Fulham vs Crystal Palace: Confirmed line-ups
Fulham XI: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukic; Pereira, Iwobi, Willian; Muniz.
Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Lerma, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze.
Fulham chasing redemption against the Eagles
Things didn’t go Fulham’s way when the two sides met at the Cottage last month.
There was no love lost for former Palace defender Joachim Andersen, who nodded into his own net to give his former side the lead before half-time.
Daniel Munoz then fired home to double the Eagles’s lead after the break, condemning their London rivals to a home defeat that acted as a blow to their European hopes.
Today acts as a chance for Fulham to avenge that loss.
Odds for today’s clash
Fulham win – 13/10
Draw – 11/5
Palace win – 11/5
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Predicted lineups
Fulham XI: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Willian; Jimenez.
Palace XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta.
Crystal Palace team news
The big news for Palace is that Jean-Philippe Mateta has been cleared to make a return, so he will likely play upfront.
Elsewhere, Will Hughes will sit out this match due to suspension, while Cheick Doucoure and Chadi Riad are the longer-term absentees.
Fulham team news
For the hosts, Sasa Lukic should return after serving his suspension, though Kenny Tete, Harry Wilson and Reiss Nelson remain sidelined until April at the earliest.
Other than that, Silva should have a full squad to choose from after the international break, with Lukic likely to partner Sander Berge in midfield.
In attack, Emile Smith Rowe will likely play centrally, with Raul Jimenez or Rodrigo Muniz leading the line.
Is Fulham vs Palace on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch
When is Fulham vs Crystal Palace?
The FA Cup quarter-final will kick off at 12.15pm on Saturday, 29 March at Craven Cottage in London.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown free-to-air on ITV1, with coverage starting at 11.30am. Subscribers can also stream the action online via ITVX.
Fulham vs Crystal Palace LIVE
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the first FA Cup quarter-final of the weekend.
It’s an all-London affair as Fulham host Crystal Palace, with both just a win away from a trip to Wembley.
The Cottagers haven’t reached the FA Cup’s final four in 23 years and will be desperate to banish those demons against city rivals Palace, who got the better of them back in February.
We’ll have all the action, right here.
