Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has warned his players against complacency as they look to finish off Shakhtar Donetsk and secure a place in the Conference League final.
Palace go into the second leg at Selhurst Park tomorrow night with a 3-1 advantage from the first game that was played in Poland due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
They are odds-on favourites to advance to a final clash with either Strasbourg or Rayo Vallecano but Glasner knows the job is not yet done, especially as Shakhtar dominated long spells of the first leg but Palace were ruthless when their opportunities came along.
He said: “We could see how good Shakhtar is. Quick players, good dribblers. We will need another great performance. But of course we play the game with a lot of confidence.
“At Selhurst we know we will have a lot of fantastic support from our fans. We could feel it against Fiorentina and believe it will be even more electric tomorrow.
“I told the players the best thing is we know what to do. We don’t need to change a lot. It’s really about playing on our best level.”
Glasner has already announced he will be leaving Palace at the end of the season and his final game in charge could be the final in Leipzig on May 27.
He added: “If I’m not excited for a game like tomorrow, it would be the wrong job for me. We love to be involved. If you lose this excitement, it would be a clear sign to retire.
“I told the players today that I am really enjoying being part of this incredible group. What they have done for Crystal Palace is incredible. I can’t mention it often enough.”
Palace had one eye on this fixture at the weekend when a much-changed team were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Shakhtar did not have the same luxury, having to play a strong side that overcame Dynamo Kiev to put them on the brink of claiming the Ukrainian title.
Their Turkish coach Arda Turan insists they will go full throttle in South London in a bid to get through.
The former Barcelona playmaker said: “There is no word for giving up in my dictionary – we will do our best in the second leg and let’s see what happens.”
Midfielder Marlon Gomes added: “We won’t give up. We must improve some details and we must pour hope into our hearts. If we manage to do so, we will have chances. It is not finished yet.”
Team news for Crystal Palace v Shakhtar Donetsk
The likes of Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr, Chris Richards and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who were all left out at the weekend, will return. Will Hughes is back in the squad after illness but Borna Sosa, Evann Guessand remain sidelined, along with Eddie Nketiah and Cheick Doucouré.
Shakhtar could be without central defender Marlon Santos.
Predicted line-ups for Crystal Palace v Shakhtar Donetsk
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino, Mateta
Shakhtar Donetsk: Riznyk; Tobias, Bondar, Matviyenko, Pedro Henrique; Ocheretko; Alisson Santana, Pedrinho, Marlon Gomes, Newertton; Kauã Elias
Where to watch Crystal Palace v Shakhtar Donetsk: TV and online streams
Crystal Palace versus Shakhtar Donetsk kicks off at 8pm UK time on Thursday night. It is available on TNT Sports in the UK and available to stream via the discovery+ app.
It is available via local Conference League rights holders in other countries, including the United States.
Stats for Crystal Palace v Shakhtar Donetsk
- Crystal Palace’s sole previous match against a Ukrainian team prior to the first leg was their 2-0 win against Dynamo Kiev on Matchday 1 of this season’s league phase.
- Shakhtar have won only five of their 20 contests with English opponents
- Shakhtar have never won in England, where their record is D2 L8
- This is only Palace’s second season in UEFA competition and a first since their 1998 Intertoto Cup campaign, where they lost 0-4 on aggregate against Samsunspor in the third round
