Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday evening, Crystal Palace will continue their inaugural major European tournament campaign as they head to Krakow to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Conference League semi-final.

The winner of this two-legged tie will meet either Rayo Vallecano or Strasbourg in the final, set to be held in Leipzig on May 27.

Match overview

The 2024-25 season has been marked as possibly the best in Crystal Palace’s history, highlighted by FA Cup success, qualification for Europe, and a record number of points in the Premier League. Now, the Eagles are on the brink of achieving another significant milestone: reaching their first-ever major European final.

Oliver Glasner’s team has been considered favorites for the Conference League title throughout this season; however, their journey to the semi-finals has been quite challenging. In fact, they managed to win only three out of their six League Phase matches, finishing in 10th place, which meant they missed automatic qualification to the last 16. They later overcame Zrinjski Mostar with a 3-1 aggregate score in the playoff round.

Palace then narrowly advanced past AEK Larnaca with a 2-1 aggregate after a victory in extra time during the last 16, and they secured a 4-2 aggregate win against two-time Conference League finalists Fiorentina in the quarter-finals, resulting in jubilant celebrations among players and fans in the streets of Florence.

The South London team is set for their seventh European away match this season, having experienced mixed results on the road, with three wins (one after extra time), one draw, and two losses. Notably, their competition opener was a 2-0 victory against Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev in Poland.

Following a 3-1 loss at Liverpool last weekend, Crystal Palace sits 13th in the Premier League, seemingly on course for a mid-table position. They are currently six points away from the top seven but nine points clear of the relegation zone, indicating that the Eagles are expected to fully concentrate on the pursuit of European silverware, beginning with their crucial match against Shakhtar.

Shakhtar is gearing up for their first major European semi-final since the 2019-20 Europa League after reaching the final stages in their inaugural Conference League campaign, thanks to a 5-2 aggregate triumph against AZ Alkmaar in the quarter-finals.

Arda Turan’s squad finished sixth in the 36-team League Phase before narrowly defeating Lech Poznan 4-3 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Their record in the Conference League this season now includes six wins, two draws, and two losses, with a total of 19 goals scored and 10 conceded.

Turan expressed that he “had a dream” about meeting Crystal Palace after attending a match at Selhurst Park in December of the previous year, and the 39-year-old head coach is eagerly anticipating the challenge of facing a Premier League team with “great potential.”

Shakhtar, who have been champions of Ukraine 16 times, are on the verge of claiming a third title in four seasons, as a 3-1 victory over Kudrivka last weekend has put them eight points ahead at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League with five matches still to play.

The Pitmen hope to leverage their extensive European experience during the match on Thursday. With regular appearances in the Champions League and Europa League (28 times combined), they reached the semi-finals of the latter in both the 2015-16 and 2019-20 seasons, as a follow-up to their historic UEFA Cup victory in 2008-09.

Team News

Shakhtar Donetsk has no new injury issues, with midfielder Dmytro Kryskiv featuring for just over 20 minutes as a substitute against Kudrivka following his recovery from a muscle injury.

Centre-back Valeriy Bondar, full-backs Vinicius Tobias and Pedro Henrique, along with midfielder Yegor Nazaryna, are anticipated to rejoin the starting XI after being rested over the weekend.

Turan is likely to depend on his Brazilian attacking contingent, which has contributed the majority of the goals in their Conference League campaign. Alisson, Kaua Elias, and Newerton have collectively netted six goals and are expected to lead the attack, while teenager Luca Meirelles (three goals) may provide additional options from the bench.

As for Crystal Palace, Evann Guessand (knee), Eddie Nketiah (thigh), and Cheick Doucoure (muscle) remain sidelined due to injury, while Tyrick Mitchell’s ongoing Achilles issue will be evaluated ahead of the kickoff.

If Mitchell is unable to start, Borna Sosa will likely take his place at left wing-back, and Daniel Munoz, who scored his fifth goal of the season against Liverpool in their last match, is expected to keep his position on the other wing.

If Ismaila Sarr scores on Thursday, he will become a joint-top scorer in this season’s Conference League, and he may be joined in the forward line by either Brennan Johnson or Yeremy Pino. Meanwhile, Jorgen Strand Larsen will be aiming to replace Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack.

Shakhtar Donetsk probable starting XI:

Riznyk; Tobias, Bondar, Matviienko, Henrique; Ocheretko, Nazaryna, Isaque; Alisson, K. Elias, Newerton

Crystal Palace probable starting XI:

Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa; Sarr, Pino; Strand Larsen

Shakhtar have not allowed the absence of a home advantage to affect their season, showcasing the technical prowess capable of controlling possession and creating opportunities against a Crystal Palace side that might prioritize defensive stability to maintain competitiveness for the return match at Selhurst Park next week.

Given that there is not much difference between these two sides, it seems likely that a tightly contested matchup in Krakow will finish in a draw.