Pierre Sage praised Jean-Philippe Mateta’s return to scoring after netting in their 2-2 draw with Besiktas.
Mateta played an hour on his first start since returning from injury and Sage says his return can be a huge boost for Palace.
“I’m really happy for him,” Sage said.
“He was in a good area, it was a good moment for him just before coming off, because he was not really ready to play [a full 90 minutes].
“You see him tired, but when you have this mindset, when you want to play every ball and you give your life on the pitch, sometimes it’s good for you.”
Sage also praised the performance of his side, despite Palace letting a 2-1 lead slip.
“We have a lot of satisfactions with the individual performances,” he said.
“But I have to underline that, first of all, it’s about the collective performance.
“They’re willing to play, they’re willing to go forward, they’re willing to press.
“And I think at the end, they made a good game, without the deserved result.”
The Palace boss was left frustrated by lapses in concentration which ultimately cost his side.
“I am satisfied with the performance,” he added.
“A little bit frustrated for the lads, because they gave a lot this evening and I think they deserve better.
“We lacked concentration in the final minute of the first half, at the end. It was the same thing when we were 2-1 up.
“In this kind of situation, you pay quickly if you make a little mistake.”