Evann Guessand, Tyrick Mitchell and Chris Richards squandered fine chances as an otherwise laboured Crystal Palace performance saw them booed off after a 0-0 last-16 first-leg draw with Larnaca at Selhurst Park.
Strong winds and driving rain did little to help the Eagles' cause but neither did Oliver Glasner's side. Brennan Johnson's deployment in an experimental hybrid wing-back role backfired in the absence of Daniel Munoz - while Jean-Philippe Mateta was also jeered from sections of the crowd on his first appearance since a failed Deadline Day move to Milan.
It all could have been different had Guessand turned home Jorgen Strand Larsen's eighth-minute cross but once he fired straight at Zlatan Alomerovic, it took Palace another 34 minutes to fashion a second chance of note.
Daichi Kamada's scuffed shot caught out the visiting defence and found the late run of Mitchell, whose first-time finish needed to be higher and was saved by Alomerovic's outstretched leg.
Palace upped their game briefly at the start of the second period and fashioned a number of half-chances, before Richards headed Johnson's corner over from barely six yards.
Larnaca almost gave new head coach Javi Rozada a dream debut in the dugout in the dying moments, when an Enzo Cabrera header was deflected just wide by Richards.
AEK Larnaca head coach Javi Rosada:
"I'd like to congratulate the players, I haven't had much time with the team so we didn't have much opportunity to prepare. We only had two chances to train before the game - once in Cyprus and once in England today."
"It's been a great effort by everyone. We have a great opportunity next Thursday in Cyprus to achieve something special for Cypriot football."
Your Site' Callum Bishop:
"Only four English teams avoided defeat in Europe this week. Arsenal, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace. But somehow, the Eagles have walked away with the most disappointing result.
"Arsenal and Newcastle drew to strong opposition in in Bayer Leverkusen and Barcelona. Villa picked up a crucial away win. Even those who lost did so against tough opponents, two of those being Real Madrid and PSG.
"Yet, people would've been backing Palace to put in a strong showing as the gulf in class on paper between them and Larnaca was as big as any two teams in Europe this week.
"Regardless of the fact that Larnaca did beat Palace earlier in the competition, this was a chance to exact revenge. But if anything, this was poorer because that added motivation wasn't even remotely on display.
"People talk about players not playing for their manager. That has never been the case under Glasner. It probably isn't the case now. However, the dramatic end to his tenure is clearly impacting these players and it just feels like they are walking in slow motion towards the end of this chapter in the club's history."
Round of 16 second legs: March 19
Quarter-finals: April 9 and 16
Semi-finals: April 30 and May 7
Final: May 27 [Red Bull Arena, Leipzig]
