UECL: Crystal Palace Take 3-1 Lead to Selhurst Park After Shakhtar Win

Palace close on Conference League final

Oliver Glasner’s side are one step from the final as they look to end the season with a trophy. Shakhtar need a comeback to avoid a third straight UEFA semifinal defeat.

Oleh Ocheretko briefly levelled for Shakhtar early in the second half, but Palace hit back through Kamada before Strand Larsen’s late dink sealed the win...

  

Ismaila Sarr scored the fastest goal in UEFA Conference League history after just 21 seconds, setting Crystal Palace on their way to a 3-1 first-leg win at Shakhtar Donetsk in the semifinal.

  

Sarr has been sharp in this competition, but even he couldn’t have expected to score seconds after kick-off.

The Senegal striker latched onto Jean-Philippe Mateta’s through ball and finished inside the far post to spark wild celebrations in the away end, moving joint-top of the competition’s scoring charts with eight goals.

Shakhtar settled quickly and showed the resilience of a side playing ‘home’ games 1,500km from Donetsk in Krakow. They had a long spell of pressure but didn’t force Dean Henderson into a save.

Mateta then hooked a shot against the post, but Daichi Kamada put the Eagles back in front just before the hour mark, drilling in his first Palace goal since October 2024.

Shakhtar won a series of corners pushing for an equaliser, but Palace struck on the counter six minutes from time. Substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen raced clear and dinked over Riznyk for his first European goal.

That gives Palace a strong lead heading into next Thursday’s second leg. Manager Oliver Glasner will hope to leave with another trophy this summer, while Shakhtar need something special to avoid a third straight semifinal loss in UEFA competition.

That’s been a theme for the Ukrainians this season. Only four of their 19 Conference League goals have come before half-time.

Palace caught Shakhtar cold in the first half, but the hosts returned the favor less than two minutes after the restart.

Crystal Palace take a two-goal lead back to Selhurst Park 🦅#UECL | @CPFC pic.twitter.com/5lDtWM3x6h

— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) April 30, 2026

Kaua Elias flicked on a near-post corner and Palace switched off, letting Oleh Ocheretko sweep in from close range for his fourth goal of the season. It was Shakhtar’s first shot on target.

Eguinaldo fired over from a good position moments later before Dmytro Riznyk pulled off a superb double save at the other end, spreading himself to deny Sarr and then diving to stop Mateta on the rebound.