Crystal Palace defeat Shakhtar to advance to landmark Conference League final

Following a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth where main players sat out, Oliver Glasners Palace team returned to complete power for a memorable match.

Shakhtar took the initiative early on, as Kaua Elias created a few initial chances, with his opening shot sailing just past the post before the Brazilian was stopped by Dean Henderson and later ruled offside.

The Eagles believed they had secured their spot in the final around the 10th minute when Chris Richards launched a deep pass, which Jean-Philippe Mateta headed forward for Yéremy Pino to chase and slot into the distant corner, yet the excitement faded quickly as the Spaniard was deemed slightly offside.

The fans at home soon had reason to cheer once more, with Palace scoring shortly after the halfway mark in the first period.

Adam Wharton unleashed a strong strike from 25 yards that was parried, but Daniel Munoz attempted to bundle in the loose ball from a narrow position, and it looped off Pedro Henrique for an own goal.

Shakhtar, featuring seven Brazilians in their initial lineup, levelled the score on the evening just nine minutes later as Eguinaldo collected possession inside the Palace area facing away, controlled it, spun around, and expertly curled it into the upper left corner.

Palace regained the lead only seven minutes into the second half via Ismaila Sarr, who nudged the ball over the line from near range after Tyrick Mitchell set him up, marking his sixth strike in his previous five Conference League outings and ninth in total to claim the competitions leading goal tally.

Arda Turan introduced two substitutes to try and restore some respectability for his team, but the Eagles kept pressing ahead as Mitchell had an attempt deflected after breaking clear on goal.

Ultimately, it proved a triumphant occasion for Palace, earning them a place in the final against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig where they seek to claim their second major honour in 120 years as a professional club.

Despite the setback, Shakhtar remain poised for a European return next campaign, with the 2009 UEFA Cup champions topping the Ukrainian top flight at present.