Crystal Palace took a significant step towards the Conference League final with a commanding 3-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-final first leg. The highlight of the match came from Ismaila Sarr, who scored the fastest goal in the competition’s history, finding the net just 21 seconds into the game at the Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium in Krakow.

After Sarr’s explosive start, the match saw a shift in momentum when Oleh Ocheretko equalized for Shakhtar just two minutes into the second half. However, Daichi Kamada quickly became the hero for the Eagles, restoring their lead with a goal two minutes before the hour mark. The scoring was capped off by a late goal from substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen, who secured a two-goal cushion for Palace with just six minutes remaining.

Key moments from the match include:

• Sarr's opening goal: A well-executed play initiated by Yeremy Pino and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
• Shakhtar’s Ocheretko leveling the match early in the second half.
• A brilliant double save by Shakhtar's goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk to keep the match competitive.
• Kamada’s first goal for Palace since October 2024.
• Strand Larsen’s impressive solo effort for his first European goal.

Despite Shakhtar dominating possession, they struggled to break through a solid Palace defense, leaving Dean Henderson largely untested throughout the match. With this result, Crystal Palace heads back to Selhurst Park with a two-goal advantage, firmly on the path to Leipzig.