**Crystal Palace heads to Bristol with injury woes but the better recent form** — this friendly is a proper test for both sides before the grind resumes. 🔴

Palace are 3W-1D-1L over their last five and just demolished Lech Poznań 4-0 at home, though they've got some notable bodies missing (Mateta, Henderson, Riad all out). Bristol City sit 3W-2L in the same stretch but have wobbled badly — that 1-4 thumping at Southampton looks rough.

Key storylines:

- **Crystal Palace's attacking depth under fire** — without Mateta, the burden falls on Nketiah and Pino to carry the load in a 3-4-2-1 setup
- **Bristol City chasing consistency** — Wallace and Twine need to click in midfield to avoid another blowout
- **Head-to-head intrigue** — City lead the last 12 meetings 6-3, so there's history to overturn here

Expected lineups:

- **Crystal Palace**: Benítez, Richards, Canvot, Tomiyasu, Hughes, Wharton, Kamada, Nketiah, Pino, Larsen
- **Bristol City**: Tickle, Pring, Dickie, Tanner, Knight, Williams, Greenwood, Twine, Wallace, Tolaj

Prediction:

**Palace 2-1 City** — Palace's form edges it despite the absences; Bristol's defensive wobbles make them vulnerable. 🎯