Crystal Palace 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Agg 5-2): Ismaila Sarr fires Eagles to European final

Crystal Palace are going to Leipzig. Selhurst Park erupted into scenes of unbridled joy on Thursday night as Oliver Glasner’s Eagles secured their place in a first European final with a 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, advancing 5-2 on aggregate in a Conference League semi-final that briefly threatened to get nervy before Palace’s clinical edge ultimately told.

With the 50th win of his Palace reign, the outgoing Oliver Glasner has set up a potential fairy tale farewell after presiding over the most successful spell in the club’s history. The Austrian, who guided the Eagles to FA Cup glory last season, now has the chance to add a European trophy before his departure. Palace will play Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on 27 May.

Glasner reverted to the same side that had earned the 3-1 advantage in the first leg, and the intent was clear from the outset — Palace wanted to kill the tie early. Yeremy Pino had found the net after just nine minutes after running onto a Jean-Philippe Mateta flick-on, but his effort was ruled offside following a VAR check, a decision that briefly quietened a buzzing Selhurst Park.Shakhtar, needing to overturn that first-leg deficit, were not short of belief.

The Ukrainian side once again applied the pressure, without creating too much that was clear-cut. But it was Palace who made the decisive breakthrough. Adam Wharton dropped the shoulder before fizzing a shot from distance that forced Riznyk into a save. The keeper could only parry it into the path of Daniel Munoz, and as the Colombian cut the ball back, it ricocheted off Pedro Henrique into the back of the net.

Shakhtar responded with an expert Eguinaldo finish from just inside the box. The No7 controlled a pass with his back to goal on his right foot, then effortlessly picked out the top corner with his left on the turn, leaving Dean Henderson rooted to the spot and giving the visitors renewed hope. For a moment, Selhurst Park held its collective breath.Palace almost responded in kind before the break, but Jean-Philippe Mateta’s acrobatic scissor-kick volley thumped the upright — a moment that drew a collective gasp from the stands. It was breathtaking in its ambition, agonising in its outcome.

Any lingering nerves were swiftly dissolved after the restart. Oliver Glasner’s men put the tie out of Shakhtar’s reach seven minutes into the second period when Ismaila Sarr darted between two defenders to reach Tyrick Mitchell’s low delivery, guiding the ball into the net with a deft touch via the woodwork. Selhurst Park was bedlam. Sarr had now netted for the fifth Conference League match running, his contribution to this remarkable European adventure immeasurable.The Pitmen stuck to their task, crafting a couple of shots to test Henderson, but the Eagles largely kept them at bay for the remainder of the contest. There was no panic, no invitation for drama — just the controlled authority of a team that has learned how to win on the grandest stages. Glasner, speaking to TNT Sports afterwards, said:

“It was really exciting. Everyone could see how good Shakhtar are, so huge credit to my players. They stuck to the plan and worked so hard. This is why you want to become a football player as a little boy, this is the reward you get. We are in our next final together. It is amazing what this group of players are doing for Crystal Palace.”

It is, indeed, amazing. A club that spent decades in the shadows of English football’s elite, that won its first major trophy only last year, now stands on the brink of European glory. Leipzig awaits. And if this night at Selhurst is anything to go by, Rayo Vallecano had better be ready.