Crystal Palace have one of the easiest opponents in the FA Cup, although Doncaster already proved their worth against serious opposition in the previous rounds.
Doncaster are pushing hard towards promotion to League One and are the team in the best form in League Two. Four wins in the last five rounds elevated them to 3rd place and their future seems bright. Unlike their upcoming opponents, Doncaster had to go through three rounds to get this far. In the last one, they met Championship-based Hull City and survived long enough to beat them on penalties. But it should be noted that their performance in this game showed nothing other than good defensive play, which would hardly be enough against a Premier League team like Crystal Palace.
The Eagles are among the teams in the best form in the Premier League, having conceded just one loss in their last five games. In the last round of the PL, they beat Manchester United in the middle of Old Trafford, so we can definitely say that Crystal Palace are performing great as visitors. In fact, they have only one loss in their last 10 away games in all competitions.
How the bookies view it: As one-sided as the odds can be
The bookmakers have taken into account Palace's form and the difference in divisions, and the Eagles are clear favourites in this match. You can pick Doncaster at 10/1, the draw at 5/1, or Crystal Palace at 1/4.
Recent head to head: An old Championship rivalry
Doncaster and Crystal Palace spent many seasons together in the Championship but that was over a decade ago. Their last encounter dates back to 2017, when the teams again met in the FA Cup. Back then, the Eagles won 0-2. But overall, this rivalry never had a dominant side in the past and Doncaster have won three out of the last 10 H2Hs, one less than Crystal Palace.
Players to watch: Eze shines in Cup fixtures
Unlike the previous round, we expect Oliver Glasner to pick a stronger squad. This is probably reflected in the odds as well, as Palace have a massive betting advantage. We have selected Eberechi Eze as our top pick for this match, as the 26-year-old has been smashing it in Cup games. He scored the winning goal against Stockport in the previous round and also netted three goals in the EFL Cup this season.
Probable line-ups
Doncaster: Sharman-Lowe, Sterry, Olowu, McGrath, Maxwell, Bailey, Crew, Kelly, Molyneux, Street, Ironside
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Ismaila, Eze, Mateta
Anything else catch the eye?
Doncaster's performance in League Two is certainly impressive, but we can't imagine them going any further in this tournament. The win over Hull City was undeserved to say the least, although it proves that sometimes just one shot on target is enough to win.
Crystal Palace are in great form and we think they'll have no trouble against Doncaster, especially if Glasner drops a stronger line-up. And it's important to note that Palace have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five games, three of them in the Premier League. Judging by last round's performance, we don't expect Doncaster to be able to score or even have enough chances to get close to the goal.
This FA Cup match between Doncaster and Crystal Palace will be played on Feb 10, 2025 and kick off at 21:45. Check below for our tipsters best Doncaster vs Crystal Palace prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
