Pre-Match Insights and Team News
If you prefer to follow the other match, here is the link for that.
Darijo Srna, former Croatia international and current director of football at Shakhtar Donetsk, spoke to TNT about the challenges faced by the team.
"I’m not just sporting director. Sometimes I’m father, mother, sister, brother, grandpa … we have a young team, lot of young players tonight from Brazil, they need adaptation, sometimes it’s not easy during the night, rockets, sirens, but we are united, we are together. And we are here to play football. We are here to give positive emotions to the Ukrainian people tonight."
Oliver Glasner, manager of Crystal Palace, has made one change from the side that started against Liverpool: Brennan Johnson is replaced by Yeremy Pino. Shakhtar field seven Brazilian players in their starting eleven, as Glasner noted during his interview with TNT.
"It’s really awesome what we’ve done together,"Glasner said about their European campaign.
"Now it’s sticking to our principles, play with confidence, trust in what we are doing."
Starting Lineups
Shakhtar Donetsk: Riznyk, Tobías, Bondar, Matviyenko, Pedro Henrique, Ocheretko, Alisson Santana, Pedrinho, Marlon Gomes, Eguinaldo, Kauã Elias
Substitutes: Tvardovskyi, Traoré, Marlon Santos, Newertton, Isaque, Azarov, Ghram, Bondarenko, Nazaryna, Lucas Ferreira, Luca Meirelles, Obah
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Mateta, Pino
Substitutes: Matthews, Benítez, Lerma, Johnson, Clyne, Hughes, Strand Larsen, Sosa, Riad, Devenny, Cardines
Coaching Perspectives
There is also an insightful interview with Arda Turan by Nick Ames from last July, highlighting his learning from top managers.
"With Simeone and Luis Enrique I had very valuable chats and discussions. They were excellent teachers but I also believe good students should improve on what they have been taught. I have a lot of positives in my pocket and now I’m trying to put them into practice on the pitch."
Ed Aarons provides commentary on Crystal Palace and Glasner, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.
Shakhtar's European Journey
Ed Aarons also authored an excellent piece on Shakhtar’s path to this stage.
"Shakhtar reached the last four of the Europa League in 2016 and 2020 before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 changed everything. Most of the club’s foreign players departed after special Fifa regulations allowed them to leave for free. Shakhtar failed with a claim for up to €50m in compensation and were forced to start from scratch."
Match Context and Background
While the other semi-final is highly anticipated, this fixture promises to be compelling as well. Oliver Glasner is approaching the final weeks of his tenure at Crystal Palace with a significant opportunity; the club, which took 120 years to win its first major trophy, could secure a second consecutive one. Palace are in Krakow after a strong quarter-final performance against Fiorentina, winning 3-0 at home in the first leg and losing 2-1 in the second.
On the other side, Arda Turan’s Shakhtar Donetsk is aiming for a league title in his first season as manager and targeting their second European trophy, having won the UEFA Cup in 2009 just before the competition was rebranded as the Europa League. Shakhtar advanced to this stage after a 5-2 aggregate victory over AZ Alkmaar. Due to ongoing circumstances, all their "home" matches this season have been played at the Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium.
"There is war in Ukraine and yet people live their lives,"Turan said.
"Every day shows that this nation never gives up."
The match is scheduled to kick off at 8pm BST.
