Crystal Palace FC vs Shakhtar Donetsk
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LONDON (Interstat) — Crystal Palace FC hosts Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League on Thursday, May 7, seeking to build on a convincing victory in their most recent meeting.
The match at Selhurst Park is a second-leg clash of the knockout stage. Crystal Palace defeated Shakhtar 3-1 on the road on April 30, giving the English club a two-goal aggregate advantage heading into the return leg.
Shakhtar enters the match following a 2-1 win at FK Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League on Sunday, maintaining strong domestic form. The Ukrainian side has won seven of its last 10 matches across all competitions, with only that loss to Palace as a defeat during that stretch. Shakhtar’s other Europa League results this season include a 3-0 win at AZ on April 9.
Crystal Palace carries momentum from its April 30 victory, which followed a 3-0 home win over Fiorentina in the competition’s previous round on April 9. The London club has posted five wins, one loss and two draws in its last eight Europa League matches this season, with the lone defeat a 2-1 loss at RC Strasbourg Alsace on Nov. 27.
The most recent Europa League match for both teams was that April 30 encounter won by Palace.
According to Interstat’s game simulator, the contest is projected to end in a 1-1 draw.
Shakhtar’s schedule remains congested. The club plays at SK Poltava in the Ukrainian Premier League on Sunday, then hosts FK Obolon Kyiv on Wednesday.
The winner of the Palace-Shakhtar tie advances further in the Europa League bracket.