Crystal Palace faces Shakhtar Donetsk in their first European semi-final on April 30, 2026, at the Synerise Arena in Krakow. Shakhtar is dealing with significant challenges due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Key facts:
- This is the first-ever meeting between Shakhtar Donetsk and Crystal Palace.
- Crystal Palace is currently 13th in the Premier League.
- Shakhtar Donetsk leads the Ukrainian Premier League by 8 points.
- Ismaila Sarr has scored 7 goals in the Europa Conference League this season.
- Shakhtar reached the semi-finals by defeating AZ Alkmaar 5-2 on aggregate.
The match will be refereed by João Pinheiro. It is available for streaming on TNT Sports in the UK. Shakhtar has played English teams 18 times, winning 5 and losing 9.
Oliver Glasner aims to win his second trophy in two years with Crystal Palace. His team recently won against Fiorentina 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Conference League. However, they suffered a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in their last match.
Despite this being a ‘home leg’ for Shakhtar, it is not really given it’s being played in Poland. The ongoing war continues to disrupt normalcy for the team. Injuries may also affect squad selection; Tyrick Mitchell is Glasner’s main concern after an achilles injury.
