Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace delivered a stunning away display in Krakow, beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in the UEFA Conference League semi-final first leg. The night's defining moment came before fans had barely settled: Ismaïla Sarr fired home after just 22 seconds — the fastest goal ever scored in Conference League history — setting the tone for a commanding Eagles performance. Shakhtar threatened a brief revival when Oleh Ocheretko levelled early in the second half (47'), giving the home crowd renewed hope. But Palace quickly snuffed it out. Daichi Kamada restored the advantage on 58 minutes, and Jørgen Strand Larsen put the result beyond doubt in the 84th, with Kamada the creator once more — an outstanding individual contribution from the Japanese midfielder. With a 3-1 cushion to defend at Selhurst Park in the second leg, Crystal Palace are firmly in control of this tie. For Shakhtar Donetsk, overturning that deficit against a side in such sharp European form will be a very tall order.