Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk | UEFA Europa Conference League Preview

Crystal Palace welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to Selhurst Park on Thursday evening in what promises to be a fascinating UEFA Europa Conference League encounter between two sides showing contrasting recent form patterns.

The Eagles have been somewhat inconsistent lately, with their last five matches producing two wins, two draws and one defeat. However, their overall Conference League campaign tells a more positive story, having won eight of their 15 fixtures across all competitions in this tournament. Palace have been finding the net regularly, averaging 1.6 goals per game, though they've shown a curious tendency to concede most of their goals in the second half, with 72% of goals against them coming after the break.

Shakhtar arrive in London carrying slightly better momentum from their recent outings. The Ukrainian side have collected seven wins from their 13 Conference League matches, though their home form has been notably weaker than their away record. They've managed an impressive 2.3 goals per game on their travels compared to just 1.3 at home, which could work in their favor at Selhurst Park. Their goal distribution shows they tend to be stronger finishers, with over 54% of their strikes coming in the final half hour of matches.

The fixture load could play a significant role in this encounter. Palace have played 15 matches in this competition compared to Shakhtar's 13, potentially giving the visitors a slight freshness advantage. Both teams have been rotating their squads, with Palace predominantly using a 3-4-3 formation in 11 of their matches, while Shakhtar have stuck almost exclusively to a 4-1-4-1 setup.

These sides met just a week ago in Krakow, where Crystal Palace delivered a commanding 3-1 victory in the first leg of this semifinal tie. Palace took control early, leading at halftime before extending their advantage in the second period. This result gives them a crucial cushion heading into the return fixture, though Shakhtar showed enough attacking threat to suggest they won't go down without a fight.

The disciplinary records of both teams suggest we could see a feisty encounter. Palace have picked up 28 yellow cards and one red in their Conference League campaign, with most bookings coming in the final quarter of matches. Shakhtar have accumulated 29 yellows and one red card, showing they're not afraid to mix it up when required. Unfortunately, no referee has been confirmed for this fixture yet, making it difficult to predict how strictly the match will be officiated.

Palace's defensive solidity at home has been impressive, with four clean sheets from seven matches at Selhurst Park in this competition. They've conceded just four goals on home soil, suggesting Shakhtar will need to be at their very best to overturn this two-goal deficit.

Given Palace's commanding first-leg advantage and their strong home defensive record in this competition, they appear well-positioned to see out the tie. Shakhtar will need to score at least twice without reply to progress, a tall order against a Palace side that has shown great resilience throughout their European campaign. Expect Palace to advance to the final with a narrow victory or draw that sees them through on aggregate.