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Arda Turan’s Shakhtar Donetsk face a significant deficit in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals after losing 3–1 to Crystal Palace in Thursday’s first leg.
Crystal Palace opened the scoring immediately, with Ismaila Sarr capitalizing on the first attack of the match just 22 seconds after kickoff. The English side controlled the tempo for the remainder of the first half, maintaining its 1–0 lead into the break.
Shakhtar equalized early in the second period through an Oleh Ocheretko strike, but the momentum shifted back to the visitors shortly after. Daichi Kamada restored Palace's lead in the 58th minute, and Jorgen Strand Larsen extended the margin in the closing stages to secure a 3–1 victory.
The result leaves Crystal Palace with a clear advantage ahead of the second leg at Selhurst Park on May 7. Shakhtar will require a two-goal margin in London to force extra time.
In the evening's other semi-final, Rayo Vallecano earned a 1–0 win over RC Strasbourg at the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas.
The breakthrough came in the 54th minute when Alexandre Zurawski scored the game's only goal. Despite sustained pressure from the French side in the final fifteen minutes, Vallecano’s defense remained intact to secure the clean sheet.
Both teams will meet for the return fixture on May 7 to determine who advances to the final.
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