Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace Conference League semi-final preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news

Crystal Palace are set to take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final tie.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Conference League broadcast partner(s) here.

What you need to know?

Shakhtar have made it all the way to the semi-finals in their maiden Conference League campaign. With the usual sprinkling of Brazilian talent, Arda Turan's side have hit their goalscoring stride recently, scoring four goals in their round of 16 victory over Lech Poznań, and five in their quarter-final tie against AZ Alkmaar.

Shakhtar also have previous European semi-final experience, having made the final four in the 2019/20 and 2015/16 Europa League, as well as winning the 2008/09 UEFA Cup, having beaten Dynamo Kyiv in the semi-finals and Werder Bremen in the final.

South Londoners Crystal Palace can boast nothing like that level of experience as they confront their first European semi-final; their only continental campaign prior to this season was a brief foray in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

However, Oliver Glasner's side are no naive newcomers. They beat Shakhtar's rivals Dynamo Kyiv in Poland earlier in the campaign, and accounted for Fiorentina in the quarter-finals. In seven-goal Ismaïla Sarr, they also have the top scorer left in the competition.

Possible line-ups

Shakhtar Donetsk: Riznyk; Tobías, Bondar, Matviyenko, Pedro Henrique; Marlon Gomes, Ocheretko, Pedrinho; Alisson Santana, Kauã Elias, Eguinaldo

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Muñoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta

Form guide

Shakhtar Donetsk

Form: WWWDDW (most recent game first)
Latest: Kudrivka 1-3 Shakhtar, 26/04, Ukrainian Premier League

Crystal Palace

Form: LDLWWW (most recent game first)
Latest: Liverpool 3-1 Palace, 25/04, English Premier League

Views from the camps

Arda Turan, Shakhtar coach: "Crystal Palace are a Premier League team with great potential. I went to the Crystal Palace stadium in December to watch a game. I had a dream [that I would be facing them this season], and some of my friends laughed at this. Now I will make fun of them!"

Oliver Glasner, Palace coach: "We are all looking forward to this game. It's a big game, a semi-final against Shakhtar, and when four teams are left in the competition, it means the four best are left. We have a great atmosphere – even when we lost at Liverpool [in the league on Saturday], we took a lot of positives from the game."

Tyrick Mitchell, Crystal Palace defender: "I think winning competitions is the main thing in football. We know this competition is difficult but we showed last year in the [English] FA Cup we can match a lot of teams. It gave us a lot of confidence. Getting to a semi-final in a European competition, you have to be happy and grateful for what you've achieved so far."

Reporter's view

Piotr Kozmiński, match reporter
Shakhtar are regular fixtures in continental competition, whereas this is only Palace’s second appearance on such a stage. Shakhtar will be looking for a repeat of their last performance in Krakow, where they cruised to a 3-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar. They are leaning on their Brazilian attacking core, responsible for the majority of their goals. That said, Palace boast one of the top scorers in the competition; Ismaïla Sarr has already netted seven times, including four goals in last three games.