Shakhtar Donetsk – Crystal Palace

In Krakow, fans will see at least two goals scored.

The Donetsk Shakhtar appeared on Europe’s football map as an ambitious outfit more than twenty years ago, becoming the main sports project of Ukraine’s wealthiest oligarch Rinat Akhmetov. At the roots of the club’s European achievements stood Mircea Lucescu, who died this year, who in 2009 led the 'miners' to victory in the UEFA Cup. In the following season the competition was reformatted into the Europa League. For the past three decades, Shakhtar’s management has used the same mechanism for building the squad, gathering in Ukraine most of the talented young players and buying Brazilian wunderkinds with prospects of increasing their transfer value. Over the years, through Shakhtar passed such famous Brazilians as Fernandinho, Tyson, Fred, Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano and Willian. While the Donetsk club was forming into one of the strongest in Eastern Europe, Crystal Palace evolved from a mid-table Championship side into a mid-table Premier League side. The London club has always been in the shadow of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in England’s capital football scene. Essentially, the past and current seasons have changed little in Crystal Palace’s status. Winning the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield will forever remain in the history of the 'glaziers'. But selling off its leaders underscores its 'capital provinciality' and the owners’ unwillingness to challenge for the status of a Premier League frontrunner. Nevertheless, Crystal Palace goes into the clash with Shakhtar as the favorite. In favor of the London club is, at least, a threefold advantage in the transfer value of the squads, as well as the possibility to play the return leg at their home stadium in London. Meanwhile, Shakhtar plays its home games in Krakow, Poland, where nine thousand fans attended the match of the previous Europa League round. Crystal Palace has played differently in this season’s Europa Conference League, but there is no doubt about the serious intent for the upcoming match. Before leaving the club, Oliver Glasner is close to adding Crystal Palace’s first European trophy to its history, on top of the club’s first national trophies. Both rivals have a serious attacking potency, which will be reflected on the scoreboard at the Krakow stadium.