Crystal Palace advanced to the next round of the Carabao Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Millwall at Selhurst Park. The south London derby ended 1-1 in normal time, before debutant goalkeeper Walter Benítez produced two crucial saves in the shootout to secure a 4-2 win for Palace.
Palace had taken the lead late in the second half when Chris Richards reacted quickly from a corner to fire home in the 72nd minute. The goal looked to have settled the contest, but Millwall refused to give in. Deep into stoppage time, Ryan Leonard rose highest to head home from a corner, sending the tie to penalties and sparking wild celebrations from the visiting fans.
The drama had begun much earlier, however. Palace’s new signing Romain Esse, who joined from Millwall in January, endured a miserable evening against his former club. After wasting a chance and showing visible frustration, he was withdrawn at half-time in favor of Christantus Uche. The Nigerian forward injected fresh energy into the attack, but Palace still struggled to find their rhythm against a determined Millwall side.
Millwall had chances of their own before the interval. Mihailo Ivanovic forced Benítez into a fine save with a powerful header, while Camiel Neghli spurned a golden opportunity after a Palace error. In goal for the visitors, debutant Steven Benda, brought in at the last moment due to an injury to Max Crocombe, made several key stops to keep his side in contention.
The closing stages brought chaos. Palace nearly sealed it when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s effort was cleared off the line before he missed an open goal in stoppage time. Millwall’s late equaliser meant the contest would be settled from the spot.
In the shootout, Benítez became the hero of the night. The Argentine stopper denied Millwall captain Tristan Crama and Aidomo Emakhu, ensuring Palace’s unbeaten run stretched to 16 games across all competitions.
For Palace, the result reinforced their growing resilience under Oliver Glasner, while Millwall left with pride intact after a spirited performance. Palace now turn their attention to the next round, buoyed by the emergence of a new fan favorite in Benítez.
