Crystal Palace and Ismaila Sarr make history as they put one foot in Conference League final

FootballSports
1 May 2026 • 6:11 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Crystal Palace and Ismaila Sarr make history as they put one foot in Conference League final

  • Crystal Palace secured a significant 3-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Conference League semi-final, placing them in a strong position to advance to the final.
  • Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring for Palace just 21 seconds into the match, setting a new record for the quickest goal in the competition's history.
  • Shakhtar Donetsk managed to equalise early in the second half through Oleh Ocheretko, temporarily bringing the score level.
  • Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada restored Palace's lead with his first goal for the club since October 2024, finding the net two minutes before the hour mark.
  • Substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen sealed the win for Crystal Palace with a late goal, assisted by Kamada, providing them with a crucial two-goal advantage heading into the second leg.

IN FULL