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Sports
Crystal Palace host Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa Conference League semi-final second leg, needing only a draw to reach the final in Leipzig.
A spot in the Europa Conference League final is on the line as Crystal Palace welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to Selhurst Park on Thursday evening. The English side hold a commanding 3-1 advantage from the first leg played last week, meaning a draw or victory in the return fixture would secure their place in the May 27 showpiece in Leipzig, Germany.
Palace’s path to this stage has been anything but straightforward. The team finished 10th in the league phase with just three wins from six matches, forcing them into a playoff round rather than securing direct qualification to the Round of 16. They overcame Zrinjski Mostar 3-1 on aggregate in that playoff, a result that began to build momentum.
The knockout rounds tested Palace’s character further. In the Round of 16, they needed extra time to dispatch AEK Larnaca 2-1, a match that highlighted their ability to withstand pressure. The quarterfinals brought a more emphatic performance: a 4-2 aggregate victory over Fiorentina, widely regarded as one of their finest displays of the season, celebrated with considerable fanfare.
