Hola, bonjour, good day. We’re back again with more from this trio of clubs, where the aim is to get them to meet in the Champions League final. We have two sides in Europe’s elite competition for the first time which means we are potentially just a few updates away from the end. There’s still a lot to achieve, certainly for Nice and Go Ahead, so let’s see what this week brings.

As I write this, the UK has a weather warning for extreme winds. Stay safe out there, it is pretty wild.

There’s no better way to start than Palace getting yet another one over our nearest rivals Man Utd. Thomas Gravesen’s early goal threatened to spoil our day but we are made of stern stuff.

Over in France, Le Entertainers make hard work of beating Rennes but we do in the end. It’s a wild ride on the continent this season.

Go Ahead have a wonderful front line and a mean defence. The goalkeeper remains a bit of a mystery but when you score 5, the clean sheets don’t matter.

Sparta have won all 7 of their opening fixtures so I am very relieved to escape with a point.

Ledezma scores a famous Anfield hat-trick as Palace bring their own brand of entertainment.

Whilst the unlikely figure of Pelayo scores a hat-trick to see off Monaco. We have a great record against this financially beleaguered lot.

The perfect Saturday is completed by a 4-1 win in Holland. Sadly, no hat-trick in this game despite Gary Wilmot’s best efforts.

Champions League Wednesday has become a day to enjoy in Southern France. This time it’s Finland’s finest who can’t contain us and five goals are shipped.

Palace won 3-0 in a game so routine I didn’t even screenshot it, so when we’re 3-0 up (with 9 men) against newly promoted Charlton I am very surprised to see it end 3-3. 9 men or not, that’s poor.

Vicky Peebs helps himself to a hat-trick away at Twente. He’s great, far too good for most teams in Holland.

We’re still going in the Waffa Cup too. A routine second leg victory sees us into the 4th round.

Palace complete the group stage double over Barcelona. Ideally, we will knock them out so they can’t beat us in the final.

Anyway, as impressive as that is, Nice score 6 against Rangers. The turnaround from where this team was to where we are now fills my cold dead heart with joy.

We’re off to Warsaw. Belter.

Even with 10 men, the Eagles see off Willem II. Except in this case it’s Willem II 1. That must get so confusing on Dutch Final Score.

My love for this team…so much character. Another comeback win this time in the tricky surrounds of Auxerre.

As usual though if you like comebacks, Go Ahead outdo everybody. 3-1 down, 4-3 up, Vicky Peebs wrapped it up.

Tammer then scores a hat-trick in the Waffa. The goals in this team…

Nice book their place in the last 8. Minimal fuss.

Palace have to wait a week. We only need a point and I took a few liberties in trying to rotate the squad. We’ll try again next time in Tallinn.

More goodness from Nice, again from a losing position but a win is a win.

Sadly, Go Ahead exit the cup. It’s a stinker of a draw, the Pints Cup has not generally been kind to us over the years. Ikpeba worked his magic to take us to extra time and ultimately pens but their keeper backed up his 9 rating with 2 crucial saves.

Bad news on the BeefCo injury front as Edworthy’s season is over and Pope has 2 months off. Good time of year for Eddie, I suppose.

The Pointless Cup gives Palace a chance to get back on track.

But further disappointment in Holland as we absolutely batter NAC but fall to a 2-1 defeat. I don’t want to harp on about it, but this is the risk when your keeper is a bit iffy, it only takes one super keeper or your strikers to not fire and it’s curtains.

Ledezma usually fires, so Palace have fewer problems. Hull are the latest victims.

Case in point at Nice though. That deadly combination of conceding a lot and not scoring.

Sadly GAE can’t manage to take anything off Feyenoord.

Easy does it though in Warsaw. A rotated team sticks to the plan of score and concede a lot.

That feels like a decent draw.

Palace secure their place in the last 8 in Estonia.

Nice complete a perfect group, 6 out of 6.

Barcelona managed to sneak through, annoyingly.

No sneaking for Nice, a solid Champions League debut. The dream of them meeting in the final is on.

Ffs. It’s off.

For some reason we play awful at home to Newcastle. I think this happened last season too.

Nice finish for their winter break with a very important win over PSG.

Gary Wilmot is the latest hat-trick hero. We are a great BTTS bet.

With Edworthy out with a broken leg, Palace have dipped into the market for this kid. He’s young enough to improve.

An important point here, whilst I would have preferred all three, we’re hanging on for dear life in these big games.

Let’s leave it there for this week. Go Ahead are just about in touch for a Champions League spot. The problems lie in the goals against column of course.

The squad is doing canny. Marcio Theodoro is the Rai regen, who I have on loan from Santos.

Nice meanwhile are just having difficulty fending off bids for Trygger. Palace are constantly having to step in. Ricardinho and Schemmel are also keen to move but I can’t afford to replace players of that calibre.

That win over PSG was massive. Without sounding like a broken record, the goals against will kill us. You can’t be conceding 20 more than your rivals.

Palace continue to be serene. I’m trying to get Landreau out to Nice but he won’t go.

It’s a 5 point cushion though and well placed to be in the Champions League mix.

So a mixed bag again, on the one hand, all three teams are going quite well. On the negative side, Palace and Nice play each other in the Champions League. I don’t know how to approach it, do I let Nice go through to try and win the whole thing and secure a place in next seasons? It just shows how much I need Go Ahead to be in there too because it’s an absolute lottery in the knockouts.

Join us next week to see how that game plays out plus the race to be in next season’s Champions League…I think I might go shopping for keepers again!