Crystal Palace take a step closer toward Conference League final
What's the story
Crystal Palace have taken a commanding 3-1 lead over Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final. The match, played on Thursday, saw Ismaila Sarr score the fastest goal in tournament history just 21 seconds into the game. The early strike also made him joint top scorer of the competition. Palace, under outgoing manager, Oliver Glasner, are chasing their third trophy under him. They won the FA Cup 2024-25 and Community Shield 2025 honors before this.
Game momentum
Larsen seals victory for Eagles
Despite the early setback, Shakhtar Donetsk managed to equalize just after halftime through Oleh Ocheretko. However, Crystal Palace remained resilient and capitalized on their counter-attacking opportunities. After a series of missed chances, Daichi Kamada scored a well-placed second goal for Palace. Jorgen Strand Larsen then sealed the victory with a composed finish after Kamada spotted Larsen's run from his own half.
Tactical success
Tactical masterclass from Glasner
The second half played into Palace's hands, showcasing a tactical masterclass from manager Oliver Glasner. They were physically too strong for Shakhtar to break down from open play and had too much pace on the counter. This strategy paid off as Kamada turned over the ball inside his own half and spotted substitute Larsen's run, who then beat Riznyk with a composed dink.
Performance analysis
Palace create more chances despite low possession
Despite having only 29.40% possession, Palace managed to create more chances than Shakhtar. The expected goals (xG) values reflected this, with Palace's xG at 2.31 compared to Shakhtar's 1.06. Shakhtar managed only one shot on target from 15 attempts. Palace had 7 shots on target from 10 attempts. The hosts had 30 touches in the opposition box compared to Palace's 23.