Sometimes in football, you can see a team's priorities written all over the team sheet. That was certainly the case for Crystal Palace in their 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Manager Oliver Glasner made five changes to his starting lineup, resting key players like Adam Wharton, top scorer Ismaila Sarr, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. The message was clear: the Premier League took a backseat to the Conference League.

And if anyone needed further proof, the performance itself provided it. Palace looked disjointed and uninspired, failing to register a single shot in the first half while Bournemouth fired off 10 attempts. It was a stark contrast to the Eagles' commanding 3-1 first-leg victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Conference League semi-final just days earlier.

The second half showed more life after Glasner introduced his star trio from the bench. Sarr came closest to a consolation goal with an 89th-minute effort that rattled the post. But by then, the damage was already done.

What was remarkable, however, was the spirit of the Palace supporters. Even trailing 3-0, they sang "We're going to Leipzig" — a nod to the potential Conference League final at Red Bull Arena on 27 May, where they could face Rayo Vallecano or Strasbourg.

For Glasner and his squad, this defeat is one they'll want to forget quickly. With a European final tantalisingly close — just one more strong performance away — the focus now shifts entirely to Thursday's second leg. If they can finish the job, this forgettable afternoon on the south coast will be nothing more than a footnote in a historic season for the Eagles.