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Crystal Palace
Shakhtar Donetsk
The Leipzig stadium awaits.
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| Competition | Conference League Semi |
|---|---|
| Kickoff | Thursday 7 May 2026, 21:00 CET (20:00 BST, 21:00 WAT) |
| Venue | Selhurst Park, London |
| Updated | 5 May 2026 |
Crystal Palace will not let this slip. A 3-1 first leg win away from home, the fastest goal in Conference League history, and a return to Selhurst Park where Oliver Glasner's side have been ruthless in front of their own crowd. Shakhtar Donetsk need to win by two clear goals against a team that has not lost at home in eleven matches. The tie is over in everything but the formality.
Kickoff: Thursday 7 May 2026, 21:00 CET (20:00 BST, 21:00 WAT) at Selhurst Park, London
The first leg was a statement. Ismaila Sarr scored after 38 seconds, the fastest goal ever scored in the Conference League. Jorgen Strand Larsen tapped in a second on 56 minutes from a Daniel Munoz cross. Kamada finished a counter with twenty minutes to play. Shakhtar pulled one back in stoppage time through Heorhiy Sudakov but the damage was done long before. Palace controlled possession in midfield, won every second ball, and looked like a team that has played Premier League football all season against opposition that has not.
Selhurst Park is the venue Glasner has used to keep this run alive. Palace are unbeaten in their last eleven home matches across all competitions and have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven home European nights. The crowd, the tight pitch and the press in midfield have been too much for every visitor since the turn of the year. Shakhtar will arrive without their UEFA Champions League pedigree and a season of disrupted football. Stake have Palace at 1.18 to qualify, which the price tells the story it needs to tell.
The away side's record makes the case stronger. Shakhtar have lost six of their last eight away knockout legs in European competition and failed to score in four of those defeats. Marino Pusic's side will need to come out and chase the tie from the first whistle, which plays into the counter-attacking shape that Glasner has perfected. Eberechi Eze and Sarr will have space behind a high Shakhtar line. Strand Larsen will get chances against a back four that conceded 23 shots in the first leg.
The goals market reads Under 3.5. Palace are 3-1 up. They will not be in any hurry to push for a fourth and risk leaving space at the back. Shakhtar need two and will commit numbers forward but the quality is not there to break a settled Palace defence repeatedly. Five of Palace's last seven home Conference League matches have finished Under 3.5 goals. Take Crystal Palace to qualify and Under 3.5 goals. Ismaila Sarr anytime scorer and Jorgen Strand Larsen 2+ shots on target are the top player props.
More to know
- Ismaila Sarr has scored in five of his last seven appearances for Crystal Palace, including three goals in his last four Conference League starts.
- Stake price Crystal Palace to qualify at 1.18. Palace to win the leg is at 1.65. Under 3.5 goals is at 1.55.
Verdict
Palace see this out without sweating. Glasner sets up to control the tie, Sarr and Strand Larsen get their chances, and the Eagles march to a first European final in their history. The Leipzig stadium awaits.
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