Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions

• Palace won the first leg 3-1 so should focus on defence
• The Eagles have conceded just one goal across their last seven home games (all comps)
• Shakhtar scored with their only shot on target in the first leg

Palace looking to defend their lead

Crystal Palace hold a commanding 3-1 lead over Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of the second leg of their Conference League semi-final on Thursday.

The Eagles didn’t see much of the ball in the first leg with just 29% possession but they were far more effective in their attacking play and were good value for the win, but the return leg probably won’t be as entertaining.

Palace will set up to defend their lead and as Shakhtar looked fairly toothless against the Premier League side in the first leg goals could be in short supply. A Palace win to nil is one option, but the better angle could be a straightforward bet on under 2.5 goals.

The Eagles have an excellent defensive record at home with just one goal conceded across their last seven games in all competitions, and five of those games have featured fewer than three goals.

Shakhtar do have a strong road record in Europe but this is their toughest trip to date by some distance and after their attacking struggles in the first leg it is hard to see them overturning the deficit, while Palace are unlikely to alter their tactics even if they do fall a goal behind.

Palace have four victories in their last seven at home and can finish this tie with a win and a 1-0 success for the London outfit is the correct score prediction. A home goal would probably take any remaining fight out of Shakhtar and Oliver Glasner’s side aren’t particularly prolific scorers at home, having only scored more than one goal in five of their last 16 games at Selhurst Park across all competitions.