- Crystal Palace face Shakhtar Donetsk
- Oliver Glasner needs his players at their best
- Three stars will be vital
Crystal Palace are on the brink of playing a first-ever European final ahead of their UEFA Conference League semi-final second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. The two sides meet at Selhurst Park on Thursday night (May 7th).
A 3-1 win in Krakow, Poland, last Thursday saw Palace take a giant step towards a final in Leipzig. They are halfway there and must get the job done on home soil.
Oliver Glasner guided his troops to the FA Cup final last season and had several stars help him along the way. There are three Eagles who will be vital for the Austrian as he bids to become the first manager in the club’s history to take the team to a European final.
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Ismaila Sarr
The most obvious Palace man who can fire his side to Leipzig is Ismaila Sarr who is enjoying a remarkable season. In fact, the Senegalese winger can almost certainly win the Golden Boot if he’s on the scoresheet on Thursday night.
Sarr has been sensational in the Conference League, bagging eight goals in 11 games. He sits joint-top of the goalscoring ranks ahead of the meeting with Shakhtar.
The 28-year-old opened the scoring in the win in Krakow, coming up with the earliest goal in the competition’s history. More of the same on Thursday night, please.
Daichi Kamada
Daichi Kamada won the man of the match award last week for one of his best performances in a Palace shirt. The Japanese midfielder left no blade of grass untouched and even scored and assisted on the night.
Shakhtar did have their opportunities, and their holding midfielder Oleg Ocheretko performed well. But Kamada and Adam Wharton mostly won the midfield battle, and their excellent displays played a key role in the victory.
If the 29-year-old is at his best at Selhurst Park, it bodes well for Glasner. He will be sorely missed when he departs this summer.
Tyrick Mitchell
Shakhtar’s Vinicius Tobias had a torrid night at right-back and Tyrick Mitchell took advantage when linking up with Yeremy Pino. The English left-wing-back is not only effective defensively but also going forward.
Mitchell’s performance in the first leg somewhat went under the radar. He completed three of four dribble attempts, won three of eight tackles and 12 of 17 ground duels.
The 26-year-old is having one of his best seasons and could be extremely important on Thursday. He’s now an experienced head who is never fazed by a big occasion.
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