Crystal Palace begin a historic Europa Conference League semi-final conquest by making the trip to Krakow to face Shakhtar Donestk in the first leg. The game is scheduled for an 8:00pm kick-off on Thursday 30th April. Continue reading for our betting thoughts in this dedicated match preview.
Best Bets & Predictions
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both Teams To Score | 10/11 @ Bet365 (52.4%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | BTTS has dropped in four of Palace’s last six, including two of their latest three European outings. Over the weekend, the Eagles gave a decent account of themselves at Anfield despite suffering a 3-1 defeat in a showing that is likely to have prepared them for the demands of a European semi-final away from home. In Shakhtar’s case, they’ve netted nine goals in the club’s four UECL knockout games so far this term, and with a tough trip to England looming for the second leg, they have to make these 90 minutes count in Poland to stand a real chance of progressing to the final. |
| Ismaila Sarr to Score Anytime | 23/10 @ BetMGM (30.3%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Oliver Glasner has leant on Ismaila Sarr’s goals in Palace’s debut European campaign. The Senegalese international has bagged seven in 10 appearances – outscored by only two other players in the 2025/26 tournament. The 28 year old has scored four in his last three UECL games, setting him up perfectly to add to his tally in Ukraine on Thursday. |
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace odds
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How both teams go into Shakhtar Donetsk vs Crystal Palace
The hosts have endured a long season, playing their first Europa League qualifier on 10th July before appearing a further 15 times in Europe since. Krakow’s Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium has been the venue to stage home matches for Shakhtar with ongoing war conflicts preventing them from hosting any European fixtures.
Despite that 1,000-mile trip and a complicated air travel schedule across Europe, Arda Turan’s side now have the weight of an entire nation behind Thursday’s fixture. Ukrainians intend to rally behind the country’s league leaders in a bid to celebrate a general feeling of positivity involving the war-torn country.
For Palace, no win in three matches does spell slight concern as Oliver Glasner’s side approach uncharted territory in the final four of a European competition. Although they were second best in the 2-1 second leg away defeat to Fiorentina in the previous round, a 3-0 win at Selhurst Park the week prior welcomed a level of complacency into that subsequent tie when things looked all but wrapped up already.
Which just goes to show the sharpness and levels required to get a club over the line even in UEFA’s third-tier club competition. This is the first of three potentially monumental “cup finals” for Palace to etch further history into the club’s books and we can expect Glasner to pull out all the stops to do just that as he bids farewell to South London in the summer.
Shakhtar Donetsk team news
There are no fresh injury concerns to contend with for Shakhtar ahead of Thursday. Ukrainian international Dmytro Kryskiv returned last weekend from a recent muscle injury and should be in line for some more minutes to bring him fully back up to speed.
Crystal Palace team news
The same applies to the visitors, although they will have a couple of noteworthy absentees for what appears to be both semi-final legs. Eddie Nketiah and Evann Guessand have been unavailable since the beginning of the month with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.
Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between Shakhtar Donetsk and Crystal Palace in the club’s histories.
Conclusion
Although Shakhtar Donetsk have the upper hand in terms of continental pedigree, the edge goes to Palace on this occasion, with both teams getting on the scoresheet at 10/11 and Ismaila Sarr able to deliver the goods once again at a healthy 23/10 price in the anytime goalscorer market.