Glasner looking all set for Leipzig swansong as Eagles plant one foot in the final

Eagles in Poland : Picture by Pennie Terrell

Uefa Conference semi-final first leg

Shakhtar Donetsk (0) 1 Ocheretko 47

Crystal Palace (1) 3 Sarr 1, Kamada 58, Strand Larsen 84

The best game yet in Crystal Palace's European odyssey ended with Oliver Glasner's team not only setting a record but taking what they anticipate will be a decisive two-goal advantage into the second leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final at Selhurst Park next Thursday. 

Palace, ahead after only 21 seconds, with the quickest goal ever in the history of the competition, weathered a considerable storm subsequently before recovering from the frustration of conceding an equaliser by their displaced Ukrainian hosts.

Their recovery was indeed so drastic that they registered their victory by an unlikely and somewhat flattering margin despite having only 29 percent of the possession.

Shakhtar cannot stage home Conference League ties in Donetsk because of the war in Ukraine but they have made light of such a handicap by reaching the last four. But that is as far as they might get on the evidence of their failure to make their pressure pay in their adopted home in Kraków's Stadion Miejski im Henryka Reymana. 

With a starting lineup that included eight of their dozen Brazilians they forced Palace back for much of the first half. Palace's defence needed to be at its resolute best to withstand the onslaught which fortunately for them blew itself out to an extent after the interval.

But that is not to demean in any way the resolution of Max Lacroix, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Munoz and Jaydee Canvot who between them prevented many attempts on Dean Henderson's goal.

"We defended very well" said Glasner with surely the understatement of the night.

"They were very dangerous with set plays. We will learn how to deal with them at Selhurst Park. We need to be calmer in possession. There were times when we lost the ball too easily but everyone worked so hard."

Palace's early goal followed good work by Jean-Philippe Mateta and Yeremy Pino who released Ismaila Sarr to score with a cross shot just inside the far post.

Although Adam Wharton narrowly failed with a low effort, Palace were soon defending desperately with Munoz blocking a volley from Eguinaldo  who claimed that the Colombian had handled. With the goal at his mercy soon after Eguinaldo missed his kick.

Palace must have thought they had survived the tempest only to be breached in the 47^th minute when Kaua Elias nodded on Pedrinho's corner for Ocheretko to score from close range. 

Shakhtar failed to capitalise on Palace's discomfort and were lucky not to fall behind again when Riznyk saved with his feet from Sarr  and with his hands from Mateta who had seized the rebound.

Remarkably Palace were now back in the game so much so that they regained the lead when Daichi Kamada swept a low drive through a cluster of players after a long throw from Richards had caused havoc in the penalty area. 

Not content with creating that injustice with his rare goal, Kamada then provided an assist after the ball had run kindly for him in the centre circle. He ran on, sending substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen through to evade Matviyenko's lunge before steering his shot past the stranded Riznyk.

That put progress to the final well within Palace's reach but they can ill afford to be complacent about their prospects. 

Donetsk: (4-1-4-1) Riznyk - Vinicius Tobias, Bondar, Matviienko, Pedro Henrique - Ocheretko (Nazaryna 83) - Alisson Santana, Pedrinho (Bondarenko 74), Marlon Gomes (Isaque 65), Eguinaldo (Newerton 74) - Kaua Elias

Eagles: (3-4-3) Henderson - Richards, Lacroix, Canvot - Munoz, Wharton, Kamada (Lerma 90), Mitchell - Sarr, Mateta (Strand Larsen 65), Pino (Johnson 74)