Crystal Palace returned to South London with a 3-1 advantage in their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palace, aiming for their second major trophy under manager Oliver Glasner, jumped into the lead after 21 seconds when Ismaila Sarr connected neatly with Jean-Philippe Mateta and slotted the ball into the far corner. This made Sarr the tournament’s leading scorer and the record holder for fastest goal.
Immediately after the break, the visitors collapsed after a careless set-piece, with Shakhtar winning first and second contact from a corner and Ole Ocheletko scoring from close range. The pressure increased as Arda Turan’s team pressed and dominated the ball. The tie seemed to be spinning.
Sarr scored the first goal within 21 seconds.
However, Palace continued to perform well outside of possession, remaining a constant threat on the counter and missing successive chances before finally earning a count. Sarr and Mateta drew a great double save from Dmytro Riznik, the latter hitting the post and Daichi Kamata scoring the second goal of the opportunity.
Daichi Kamata scores home Palace’s second goal after the break
The development of the second half was a perfect fit for Palace, Glasner’s stylistic masterclass. They were too physically strong for Shakhtar to break down from open play, and their pace was too fast on the counter-attack, ultimately failing to fulfill their threat.
Mr. Kamata assured them that they would do so. The midfielder turned the ball over in his own half, picked up on substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen’s momentum and calmly dinked past Riznik. Palace’s professional performance ensured their away match was a success and they are certain to become overwhelming favorites to advance to the final in Leipzig on May 27th.
Glasner has a chance of ending with a fitting high.
Laura Hunter on Sky Sports:
This is one of those games where the statistics somewhat distort what actually happened. If you analyze the number of possessions and the total number of shots taken separately, you would think that Shakhtar had the upper hand. But it was Palace who created the more sustained and better threat. The game plan was to inflict damage on the counter, and it played to all of Palace’s greatest strengths.
The xG value is usually a perk in the statistical stakes: Shakhtar 1.06-2.31 Palace. Producing so much with just 29% ownership is pretty impressive.
Palace are in pole position and are well on their way to tagging along with the pre-tournament favorites. Perhaps that would provide the happiest ending for the outgoing Glassner. It would be a fitting end to Glasner’s managerial career if it were to end at Leipzig. In fact, his accomplishments will surely be determined by his results. Winning a second major trophy would be beyond most fans’ imaginations.
Glasner believes Palace need to perform better to reach the final
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner told TNT Sports:
“I’m very happy, I’m very happy with the performance. Credit to the players. They stuck to the plan and everyone worked very hard defensively. We didn’t give them too much.”
“They were a big threat from set-pieces. We conceded a goal here, but I think it was the same when we were going forward. They were always very threatening when they were attacking.”
“Overall I’m very happy with the performance, but this is just the first step. I think we need to perform even better at home to reach the final.”
Larsen is happy with the goal but regrets missing the chance
Crystal Palace striker Jorgen Strand Larsen on TNT Sports:
“That’s what we needed. We were unlucky against Liverpool last time so I felt like our confidence was a bit low, but we kept pushing forward and it’s tough because you have two good players competing for one spot. It’s just a great feeling to come here and score.”
“After scoring early, we knew they were a good team. We had to stay on our toes. We were leading 3-1, but there was still a game to play. It was important for me and the team to get the third goal.”
“We know the manager and the structure of the team. We had to accept that they are a good team, so today we had to sit a little deeper, but we did well on the counter-attack. And if we had been even better, we could have scored more.”
What will happen to Crystal Palace?
Crystal Palace face European chasers Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, before next Thursday’s return leg at Selhurst Park. It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Kickoff at 2pm.
Sunday, May 3rd 1:30pm
Kickoff at 2pm
