Crystal Palace vs Swindon Town — Match Details | Betmana

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Matheus França scored a second-half hat-trick as Crystal Palace beat Swindon Town 5-1 in Pierre Sage's first match as manager. Eddie Nketiah bagged a first-half brace, Fletcher Holman replied for Swindon.

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França fires hat-trick past Swindon | Crystal Palace 5-1 Swindon Town | Pre-Season Highlights

Match Analysis

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Crystal Palace 5-1 Swindon Town: Matheus França hat-trick headlines Pierre Sage's first game in charge

Matheus França came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick as Crystal Palace thrashed Swindon Town 5-1 in Pierre Sage's first match as manager, played behind closed doors at the Crystal Palace Academy on Saturday.

Eddie Nketiah had given Palace a two-goal lead inside 21 minutes, but Fletcher Holman pulled one back for the League Two side before the break. França's treble after the interval — including a penalty — put the result beyond doubt, with Cheick Doucouré also making his return from a year-long injury layoff.

How it unfolded

Palace took just nine minutes to open the scoring under new head coach Sage. Nketiah charged down a loose Swindon clearance inside the six-yard box, the ball rebounding off the striker and into the net — an opportunistic finish that set the tone for Palace's high-pressing approach.

Nketiah doubled the lead in the 21st minute, sliding in to convert Romain Esse's low cross across the face of goal after a driving run from the young winger.

Swindon, managed by former Palace boss Ian Holloway, grew into the contest. They were awarded a penalty in the 27th minute when David Ozoh tripped Paul Glatzel inside the box, but Aaron Drinan — last season's League Two Player of the Season — saw his spot-kick come back off the post.

The visitors kept pressing and got their reward in the 33rd minute. Holman received Matty Virtue's reverse pass, chopped inside Tayo Adaramola and curled a finish off the inside of the post to halve the deficit. Glatzel headed just wide from a free-kick moments before half-time, leaving the score 2-1 at the break.

The turning point: França's second-half treble

Both sides made wholesale changes at the interval — Palace introduced 11 fresh players, including Doucouré making his first appearance since missing the entire 2025/26 season through injury, and summer signing Óscar Mingueza completed the first half at right wing-back.

França restored Palace's two-goal cushion in the 55th minute, a deflected pass falling kindly for the Brazilian to dink calmly over Swindon goalkeeper Conor Ripley. Four minutes later, Joél Drakes-Thomas was brought down by Ripley in the box and França stepped up to stroke the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

França completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute, collecting a loose ball from Doucouré's high press, driving into the Swindon box and finishing with composure. The 22-year-old scored three goals in a 27-minute second-half cameo.

Key performers

Matheus França (Crystal Palace) — A perfect 27-minute hat-trick off the bench: a dinked finish, a composed penalty, and a solo run to complete the treble. The Brazilian's movement and finishing were a level above. Player of the match.

Eddie Nketiah (Crystal Palace) — Two first-half goals inside 12 minutes set Palace on their way. His pressing forced the opener, and his instinctive sliding finish for the second underlined his sharpness in the box.

Fletcher Holman (Swindon Town) — The wideman was Swindon's most dangerous outlet, scoring with a fine finish and causing problems for Palace's defence throughout the first half. Rated 8/10 by the Wiltshire Times.

Cheick Doucouré (Crystal Palace) — A significant milestone: the Mali international played his first minutes since the 2024/25 season after a serious injury. His high press created the turnover for França's hat-trick goal.

By the numbers — interpreted

Palace's 5-1 scoreline reflected a game of two distinct halves. The first period was competitive — Swindon had a penalty saved and created multiple chances after falling 2-0 down, with the xG likely close before the break. The second half was one-way traffic: Palace's completely fresh XI, featuring Premier League quality throughout, overwhelmed a Swindon side that had also made changes. França's hat-trick inside 27 minutes tells the story of the gulf in intensity after the interval.

What it means

For Crystal Palace, this was a near-perfect start to pre-season under Sage. The new manager's high-pressing approach was evident from the first whistle, and the sight of Doucouré back in midfield — alongside minutes for new signing Mingueza — will encourage supporters. Palace face Bromley away next Saturday (25 July, 15:00 BST) in their second pre-season fixture.

For Swindon Town, the scoreline is secondary in pre-season. Holloway, who managed Palace between 2010 and 2012, will take positives from the first hour — particularly the pressing structure and Holman's performance — but the second-half defensive lapses against a rotated Premier League XI exposed the gap in quality. Swindon continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026/27 League Two campaign.

Verdict

A routine pre-season win for Crystal Palace, notable for França's devastating cameo and Doucouré's return, rather than any competitive tension. Swindon competed well for 45 minutes but the Premier League depth told after the break. Exactly what you want from a pre-season opener: minutes in legs, a clean hat-trick, and no injuries.