Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk: Confirmed lineups, kick-off time and key semi-final stakes

Crystal Palace are 90 minutes away from a place in the UEFA Conference League final, but the job is not finished yet.

With a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Oliver Glasner’s side bring a clear advantage back to Selhurst Park for Thursday night’s semi-final second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. It gives Palace control of the tie, though not enough room for complacency against a side that arrives with domestic momentum and enough attacking quality to test any lead.

After rotating heavily in the Premier League and slipping to a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth last weekend, Palace have gone straight back to their strongest available setup. The selection tells its own story: this is the game that matters.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, have resisted any temptation to change course. The Ukrainian side are also unchanged from the first leg, backing the same group that now has to chase the tie in south London.

Confirmed Crystal Palace lineup

Glasner has restored the same XI that started the opening leg, trusting continuity and the shape that put Palace into a strong position.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Richards, Canvot, Lacorix; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Pino, Sarr, Mateta.

Crystal Palace substitutes: Benitez, Matthews, Riad, Cardines, Devenny, Rodney, Clyne, Lerma, Johnson, Hughes, Strand-Larsen.

The decision to return to his first-choice side is no surprise. Palace looked flat and disjointed in the weekend loss at Bournemouth, but that performance came with clear context. Glasner managed minutes, protected key players and kept the focus fixed on Europe.

Now the challenge is different. Palace do not need to force the game recklessly, but they do need the intensity and structure that built the first-leg lead. With Jean-Philippe Mateta leading the line and Ismaila Sarr offering direct running, the home side still carry a threat that can stop this becoming a siege.

There is also a clear balance in the midfield and wing-back setup. Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada will be expected to help Palace control rhythm rather than turn the match into a transition-heavy contest that could suit a chasing opponent.

Confirmed Shakhtar Donetsk lineup

Shakhtar have kept faith with the same side from the first leg despite the two-goal deficit.

Shakhtar Donetsk XI: Riznyk; Tobias, Bondar, Matviyenko, Pedro Henrique; Ocheretko; Alisson Santana, Pedrinho, Marlon Gomes, Eguinaldo; Kaua Elias.

Shakhtar Donetsk substitutes: Tvardovskyi, Traore, Kryskiv, Newertton, Isaque, Azarov, Ghram, Bondarenko, Nazaryna, Lucas Ferreira, Luca Meirelles, Obah.

That continuity comes with some confidence. Shakhtar head into the second leg after a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kyiv, a result that pushed them to the edge of another Ukrainian title and reinforced the feeling that they are arriving in London with form rather than desperation.

Still, the task is obvious. They need at least two goals to level the tie and must do it away from home against a side that can sit in its shape, absorb pressure and break with purpose. The opening phase will be important: if Shakhtar can score early, the mood of the tie changes immediately. If they cannot, Palace’s aggregate cushion starts to feel much larger.

What the semi-final demands from Palace

This is the kind of European night Palace have been building toward.

The club’s continental history is limited, making this stage significant on its own. Palace are competing in just their second UEFA campaign and their first since the 1998 Intertoto Cup. Reaching a modern European final would mark a major milestone for the club and for a squad that has handled the competition with growing authority.

The key question now is game management.

Glasner’s team do not need to chase moments. They need to avoid gifting them. Protecting a lead across two legs is often less about retreating and more about choosing the right moments to attack, slowing the tempo when needed, and making sure the game is played on your terms.

An unchanged lineup suggests Glasner wants familiarity more than surprise. Palace know the shape, know the distances, and know what worked in the first meeting. At home, that should allow them to play with more clarity than they did in the rotated league loss at Bournemouth.

What Shakhtar need to change

The visitors have enough reason to believe the tie is still alive, but belief has to turn into pressure.

A 3-1 aggregate scoreline leaves little margin for error. Shakhtar cannot afford a passive start, yet they also know that overcommitting would leave spaces for Palace to attack. That tension will define their approach.

The likely route back into the contest is through sharper attacking execution in advanced areas. The supporting cast behind Kaua Elias will need to be cleaner in possession and more decisive around the box. If Palace’s wing-backs are pushed deep, Shakhtar can create territory. If not, the home side may find enough control to keep the tie at arm’s length.

Their recent record against English clubs also underlines the scale of the challenge. Shakhtar have won only five of 20 matches against English opposition, and they have never won in England, posting a record of two draws and eight defeats.

Those numbers do not decide the night, but they do frame it. Palace hold both the aggregate lead and the emotional edge of playing at home.

Kick-off time and how to watch

Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk kicks off at 8pm UK time on Thursday.

In the UK, the match is being shown on TNT Sports and can be streamed on discovery+.

Viewers in other territories, including the United States, can follow the game through the local rights holders for the UEFA Conference League.

The bigger context around the tie

There is a wider contrast around this semi-final.

Palace’s weekend defeat to Bournemouth was the kind of domestic result supporters will accept if it leads to a European final. It was a calculated gamble, and Thursday is the moment that has to justify it. The selection suggests the manager has no interest in hiding from that reality.

For Shakhtar, the domestic picture is brighter in the short term after their victory over Dynamo Kyiv, but Europe now asks a different question. Can they turn league confidence into a comeback under knockout pressure and hostile conditions?

That makes this second leg compelling despite the aggregate gap. Palace are favourites, but not yet finalists. Shakhtar are behind, but not yet out.

At this stage, lineups matter because they reveal intent. Neither manager has blinked. Both have chosen continuity. The tie now comes down to execution, nerve and whether Palace can finish the job in front of their own crowd.

Useful pre-match stats

A few numbers help set the stage for the second leg:

• Palace’s only previous match against Ukrainian opposition before this tie was a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv earlier this season in the league phase.
• Shakhtar have won only five of 20 matches against English teams.
• Shakhtar have never won on English soil, with a record of D2 L8.
• This is only Palace’s second season in UEFA competition and their first since the 1998 Intertoto Cup.

For Palace, those details add to the sense of opportunity. For Shakhtar, they add to the size of the challenge.

And that is the shape of the night at Selhurst Park: one club trying to protect a historic advantage, the other trying to force a comeback big enough to change its European story.