Crystal Palace reach first European final, one win from history

Crystal Palace reached their first European final by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 on aggregate, a run that began as punishment and has become a defining opportunity. The club, pushed from the Europa League into the Conference League after UEFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that multi-club ownership rules had been breached, now stand one win from the trophy they once never wanted.

The path to this point was shaped by John Textor’s stake in Palace through Eagle Football Holdings and his separate interest in Olympique Lyonnais. Palace earned Europa League qualification by winning the FA Cup on 17 May 2025, but Lyon kept the higher competition place because they finished above Palace in their domestic league. UEFA’s assessment date and transfer-ownership deadline proved decisive, and Palace’s European schedule was rewritten, including a Conference League playoff tie set for 21 and 28 August 2025.

At Selhurst Park on 7 May 2026, Palace completed the job with a 2-1 second-leg win over Shakhtar. Ismaïla Sarr scored the decisive goal and now leads the Conference League with nine goals. His influence has been central to the run, including a record-breaking strike after 21 seconds in the first leg in Krakow, when Palace won 3-1. That early goal set the tone for a tie that never felt out of their control.

Oliver Glasner called the night “electric” and described the achievement as “a huge achievement” for a side he said deserved the moment. After the first leg, he had warned that the task was “half-finished,” and Palace had to be better at home to reach the final in Leipzig. The club also made about 1,000 seats in the Holmesdale Road Stand available for supporters unable to travel to Poland, keeping the atmosphere at Selhurst Park firmly connected to the first leg.

The significance goes beyond one final. Palace have already beaten Manchester City 1-0 to lift the FA Cup, adding their first major silverware, and now sit 90 minutes from another European trophy. With the Community Shield already in the collection, they could complete a third piece of silverware in just over 12 months. Thursday night also brought extra relief when Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-0, ending the Europa League route Palace had originally expected to take.

There are only five games left of Glasner’s reign, according to Chris Bascombe, and this stretch is starting to look like a farewell defined by transformation. A club that fought demotion into the Conference League is now one match from becoming European champions for the first time.