Shakhtar Donetsk
- Shakhtar Donetsk sit top of the Ukrainian Premier League (57pts from 24 games) with the best goal difference and a long unbeaten run in the division.
- Shakhtar have won four and drawn two of their last six in all competitions, seeing off AZ Alkmaar 5-2 on aggregate in the Conference League quarter-finals.
Crystal Palace
- They rely on their wide Brazilians and can be a nightmare on the counterattack with Kauã Elias, who has 11 league goals, leading the attack.
- Palace’s first-ever European semi-final will be a greater occasion for them, but Shakhtar have a pedigree in this competition and also in European soccer that could just be the edge they need to take to Leipzig.
- Oliver Glasner’s Eagles are organised in a 3-4-2-1 system, although they are more like 3-4-3 at times with the wing-backs pushing forward.
Crystal Palace
- Palace’s talisman in Europe this season has been Ismaïla Sarr, who is the club’s top scorer in the Conference League.
- They rely on their wide Brazilians and can be a nightmare on the counterattack with Kauã Elias, who has 11 league goals, leading the attack.
- But Pedrinho, who has scored and provided an assist in recent European ties, including their 3-0 quarter-final win over AZ, could also prove to be a dangerous weapon.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Palace will have to be very careful to keep Shakhtar’s Alisson , who has scored in the knockout stages, including a brace against AZ, out of the game.
Betting Insights
The winner of this two-legged fixture will go on to play in the final in Leipzig and it’s probably an overstatement to say that Palace are slight favorites to do that with their price of 2.08 compared to Shakhtar at 3.96 .
Prediction
We expect a relatively tight first-leg affair with both sides looking for gaps in the opponent’s defence, so are leaning towards the draw option in the result markets and a 1-1 correct score bet, although a narrow Shakhtar win is equally possible given the odds for both to score are 1.87 .
