Conference League: Shakhtar-Crystal Palace 1-3, Rayo Vallecano-Strasbourg 1-0

Successes for Crystal Palace (3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland) and Rayo Vallecano (1-0 against Strasbourg) in the Conference League semi-final first leg. Glasner’s team dominates with goals from Ismaila Sarr, Daichi Kamada and Jorgen Strand Larsen. Rayo Vallecano won 1-0 with Alemão’s 54th-minute goal in a hard-fought match.

It may have been the thrill of the first time, in a European semi-final, but both teams entered the pitch intimidated and unwilling to take the first step. And it is no coincidence that the first 45 minutes ended with zero shots on goal, from one side as from the other. A common point despite the gap in average age. The young Strasbourg settled into the rhythms of the more experienced Rayo, with few ideas even going into confusion in the last thirty metres, on both sides. In short, we haven’t seen the jaunty and aggressive game that the French have exhibited around the fields of France and Europe this year. And Rayo in turn limited themselves to censoring their opponents rather than building, settling for a throw-in game.

The turning point, at the start of the second half, with the first shot taken by the Spaniards. From Palazon from outside, a powerful left foot that involved Penders, in two periods (5′). The prelude to the explosion at the Vallecas stadium on Palazon’s corner from the left, which Alemao crossed with the back of his head, scoring (9′). A ring that unblocked Rayo who took control of the game, becoming aggressive, and came close to an encore on another corner kick with Lejeune, in the 18th minute as in the final (42′). And if the Spaniards finished with eight shots on target, the French remained with zero. Since it reflects the level of performance. To be reversed on the way back.

Even though the big championship match against Dinamo Kiev is scheduled for Sunday, Arda Turan makes no concessions, fielding the best eleven. Bondar and Matviyenko play in front of Ryzkyn in the middle, with the Brazilians Vinicius Tobias and Pedro Henrique on the outside. The midfield is also all green and gold, with the exception of Ocheretko, deployed in front of the defense in place of Nazaryna. In attack, trust in Kaua Elias, preferred to Traoré. Palace responds with the usual 3-4-3 but, compared to the last match of the Premier League against Liverpool, Glasner uses Yeremy Pino in place of Brennan Johnson. The match ends after a few moments: Mateta combines in the narrow with Pino who returns the ball to him, the French center forward finds a well-timed through ball for Sarr, who beats Ryzkyn with a right-footed cross. The goal – his 8th in the Conference League – allows the Senegalese winger to join Ishak and Mouandilmadji at the top of the competition’s top scorers. The sudden advantage leads the English to lower their center of gravity, leaving Shakhtar with the initiative. However, the Ukrainians struggled to break through the opposing defence, which often became five-man, with Muñoz and Mitchell dropping to the centre-backs. In the middle of the pitch the dynamism of Wharton and Kamada puts Shakhtar’s equal roles in difficulty, very technically gifted but rather staid. The only threats to Henderson’s goal come from the outside, but the initiatives of Eguinaldo and Alisson are unsuccessful. As happened in the first half, in the second half too the score changed after a few minutes, but this time it was the home team who scored: Pedrinho took a corner kick which was returned by Kaua Elias and extended towards the center of the area, where Ocheretko had no difficulty in scoring from a few steps away. The goal gives new life to Shakhtar, who press in search of the advantage. However, the Ukrainian team’s long series of passes was interrupted in the 8th minute, when a disengagement error by Alisson started Palace’s counterattack which ended with a double shot by Sarr and Mateta: in both circumstances, however, Ryznyk was very good, confirming that he is a highly reliable goalkeeper. A few minutes later the guests came close to scoring again with Mateta, who hit the post with an under-measured turn following a throw-in. The Eagles’ lead was only postponed: in the following action, once again after a throw-in, the ball reached Kamada who beat Ryznyk with a sharp left-footed shot from the center of the area. Arda Turan tries to give his team a shock by inserting Isaque in place of Marlon Gomes, author of a rather disappointing performance.

However, the decisive move was made by Glasner by inserting Strand Larsen in place of Mateta. In fact, it is the Norwegian center forward who scores the goal that closes the score of the match, making the most of a counterattack orchestrated by Kamada. On this occasion, the former Wolverhampton striker did well to evade Matviyenko’s recovery and beat Ryznyk with a soft lob that brought Crystal Palace one step closer to the Leipzig final.