Luis Palma featured for the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night as Lech Poznań fell to a 3-1 home defeat against Crvena zvezda in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.

The Celtic winger, currently on loan in Poland, was deployed in a central attacking midfield role, a noticeable shift from the wide positions he occupied during his time at Parkhead. It was a bold tactical move from the Lech coaching staff, but one that didn’t pay off on the night as the Serbian champions took command of the tie.

Crvena zvezda showed their experience on the European stage, punishing defensive mistakes and taking their chances. Lech briefly rallied with a first-half goal, but couldn’t build on the momentum, conceding twice more before the final whistle.

Palma, while energetic and committed, looked slightly out of sync in his new role. Operating between the lines rather than out wide, the Honduran struggled to impose himself on the game and was often crowded out in central areas. It was a challenging evening for a player still adjusting to new surroundings and now a new position on top of that.

He featured just eight times for Celtic during the 2024–25 campaign, failing to score, before embarking on loan moves first to Olympiacos and now Lech Poznań.

However, the early signs suggest a period of adaptation is still required. The decision to shift him into a more central role adds another layer to that transition, and it remains to be seen whether Lech persist with the experiment in the second leg.

They now face an uphill battle in Belgrade next week, needing to overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Palma will be aiming to deliver a more decisive performance, whether in the middle or out wide, as Lech look to salvage their European campaign.