- Crystal Palace won the first leg 3-1 away from home.
- Sarr scored the fastest goal in UEFA Conference League history after just 21 seconds.
- Shakhtar Donetsk are unbeaten in their last three Ukrainian Premier League matches but were beaten 3-1 at home in the first leg.
Eagles flying high, Shakhtar seeking a comeback
Crystal Palace’s historic European run meets Shakhtar Donetsk’s solid pedigree in this UEFA Conference League 2025-2026 semi-final, which sees Palace needing to keep a two-goal aggregate advantage in front of their own fans on Thursday.
The Eagles have two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five in all competitions, but their clinical displays in Europe have seen them to the brink of their first-ever European final. Moreover, our Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction sees Palace as favorites to finish the job at home.
Oliver Glasner has brought a clear system to Selhurst Park, one where they press as a unit, sit deep and wide in their midblock and are dangerous from set pieces and in transition.
Sarr’s brilliance and Palace’s counter-attacking style have been the foundation of their Conference League campaign, as has Glasner’s ability to get a tune out of his squad with regular substitutions and set pieces.
Ismaïla Sarr is the most reliable of Palace’s attackers in Europe, the Senegalese star can find gaps on the break and in the transition, while Jørgen Strand Larsen has been a brilliant player off the bench, including a late strike in Kraków. He can also win his aerial duels and hold up play as an out and out striker.
Shakhtar’s attack will test Eagles backline
Glasner has implemented a system where Palace can be compact in a 5-4-1 or go wide and deep with their wingbacks in a 3-4-2-1, which has worked well against Shakhtar, who like to play a high-tempo game with lots of vertical transitions. Kauã Elias and Eguinaldo are the Ukrainian side’s two main creative outlets, but both are most effective when they can run at the Palace backline, something Glasner has thwarted with his tactical changes.
Turan has guided Shakhtar to the top of the Ukrainian Premier League, 60 points after 25 games, and they have been on a confident run in this competition, but they are likely to miss the pace of Pedrinho in this second-leg.
He, and the in-form Artem Bondarenko, are the main creative hubs in a fluid 4-2-3-1 system, which sees plenty of wide overloads and fast attacks, an approach that should make for a tactical chess game at Selhurst. For this reason, the Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk preview highlights how both tactical setups could define the outcome of the match.
Shakhtar got past AZ Alkmaar with a 5-2 aggregate in the Conference League quarter-finals and have scored plenty of goals in their domestic season, but their first-leg was a step backwards defensively.
Eagles are clear favorites at odds-against
Palace are heavy favorites at 1.57 to beat Shakhtar in the second-leg of this Conference League 2025-2026 semi-final, while Shakhtar are 6.09 to win the second leg and the draw is 4.33.
Under 2.5 goals at 2.05 is our main selection as Palace should be able to use their two-goal lead to make Shakhtar do the chasing, but the visitors will get a few chances on the counter-attack. In addition, this Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction considers defensive solidity and tactical discipline will likely play a part in the outcome.
Shakhtar need to press on, which could suit Palace, who are very comfortable sitting in a compact midblock and pressing when necessary, but Turan’s men will create chances and could make it a very nerve-wracking night for Palace.
The Eagles can win in a low-scoring contest, so we’re backing them to reach their first-ever European final. Dmytro Riznyk’s double-save kept Shakhtar in the tie and he will need to pull off another heroic performance at Selhurst. Based on our Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk betting tips, keeping an eye on possible late goals could be crucial for punters anticipating a dramatic finish.
