Bromley host Crystal Palace at Copperjax Stadium, formerly known as Hayes Lane, on Saturday with kick-off at 3pm, as the League One newcomers continue preparations for what promises to be the biggest season in the club's history.
Crystal Palace arrive following one of the most memorable campaigns in their history. They finished 15th in the Premier League on 45 points before lifting the Europa Conference League to secure the club's first major trophy.
Their underlying numbers suggested they deserved more than a mid-table finish, averaging 1.35 expected goals and conceding just 1.24 expected goals per away game, while an away expected points total of 26.04 ranked fourth in the division. The summer has since brought significant change, with Oliver Glasner leaving for Nottingham Forest and Pierre Sage taking over as head coach.
Bromley, meanwhile, secured promotion to League One for the first time after winning the League Two title with 87 points. It was a historic achievement, although their home expected points total of 37.19 ranked only 10th in the division, suggesting they consistently outperformed the underlying numbers at Hayes Lane. There is also a personal subplot, with Bromley manager Andy Woodman returning to face the club where he previously worked as both a player and coach.
Both sides come into the game having already begun their preseason schedules. Bromley were beaten 4-1 by West Brom in Portugal despite Victor Adeboyejo's first-half penalty cancelling out Jimmy-Jay Morgan's opener. Aune Heggebo restored West Brom's lead before the break, while Jack Bray and Barney Stewart added further goals after half-time. The afternoon also brought an injury concern after goalkeeper Grant Smith was forced off early in the second half.
Crystal Palace made an impressive start under Sage, beating Swindon Town 5-1 behind closed doors. Eddie Nketiah scored before Matheus Franca completed a second-half hat-trick, but Sage was keen to temper expectations afterwards, admitting his squad are currently capable of only 15 to 20 minutes at full intensity after just five training sessions together. With fixtures against Lens and Famalicao arriving within days of this game, another heavily rotated Palace side looks inevitable.
Several World Cup players are also expected to remain unavailable after extended breaks, while uncertainty continues to surround Maxence Lacroix and Adam Wharton amid strong transfer interest. Those absences could leave Palace looking very different to the side that finished last season so strongly.
How the bookies view it
At the time of writing, there are no odds available for this fixture.
Head to head: First meeting
This will be the first ever meeting between Bromley and Crystal Palace.
Player to watch: Eddie Nketiah hoping to make fast start to the season
Eddie Nketiah's return from injury was one of the biggest positives from Palace's opening preseason fixture. Before his spell on the sidelines he registered four goals and one assist despite making only five starts in all competitions, and Pierre Sage immediately trusted him to lead the line against Swindon.
Another positive performance here would continue his encouraging return ahead of the new Premier League season.
Predicted line-ups
Bromley (4-4-2): Smith; Headman, Patten, Woodman, Mendy; Charles, Hondermarck, Thompson, Archer; Pinnock, Adeboyejo.
Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Benitez; Walker-Smith, King, Mingueza, Mitchell; Adaramola, Hughes; Ozoh, Esse, Rak-Sakyi; Nketiah.
Anything else catch the eye?
This is another preseason fixture where confirmed team news is likely to be far more important than the four divisions separating the clubs. Palace have significantly greater quality throughout the squad, but Pierre Sage has made it clear that fitness, rather than results, is the priority during the opening weeks of preseason.
With two more friendlies scheduled within the following week and several World Cup players still unavailable, another heavily rotated line-up should be expected.
From Bromley's perspective, this is another valuable benchmark ahead of life in League One. Andy Woodman will relish the opportunity to test his side against Premier League opposition, particularly against a club where he spent so much of his playing and coaching career, while the home crowd should ensure the occasion carries a competitive edge despite its friendly status.
If markets become available before kick-off, Crystal Palace would be the obvious lean. Their squad depth and underlying Premier League numbers suggest they should still have enough quality to win, even with significant rotation, although the starting line-ups will ultimately determine whether there is any genuine betting value.
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