It had been billed as “El Casico”. But after crossing swords at the court of arbitration for sport following Uefa’s decision to demote them from the Europa League, Crystal Palace could not find a way to beat Nottingham Forest on the pitch.
Public enemy No 1 in this part of south London after his perceived role in their punishment, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was conspicuous by his absence at Selhurst Park, although a phalanx of beefy security guards accompanied the visiting players when they arrived. A banner that was unveiled midway through the first half made clear the animosity of the Palace fans towards Marinakis.
