Strand Larsen Urges Caution After Palace’s First-Leg Victory Over Shakhtar

Jorgen Strand Larsen expressed his delight at scoring for Crystal Palace but emphasized the team would not over-celebrate their 3-1 first-leg win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League semi-final. The victory at Krakow’s Synerise Arena gives Palace a strong advantage heading into the return leg at Selhurst Park.

Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring just 21 seconds into the match—the fastest goal in the competition’s history—before Shakhtar equalized early in the second half. However, goals from Daichi Kamada and Strand Larsen, who came off the bench to net his first Conference League strike, secured a commanding lead for Palace.

With Opta’s supercomputer giving Palace a 59% chance of lifting the trophy, Strand Larsen remained grounded despite the morale-boosting result. "I needed that. I was unlucky against Liverpool; I felt like the confidence had dipped, but I always keep going," he told TNT Sports. "It’s tough competing with Jean-Philippe Mateta for one spot, but coming on and scoring is amazing."

He acknowledged Shakhtar’s quality, stating, "After our early goal, you could see they’re a good team. We had to stay composed. We’re 3-1 up, but there’s still a game to play. The third goal was crucial for us." Strand Larsen praised Palace’s tactical discipline, adding, "We adapted well, stayed compact, and were dangerous on the counter. We could’ve scored more, but we won’t over-celebrate. We’re happy, but we aim to finish the job on Thursday."

Despite being outshot 15-10, Palace registered seven on target, including a Mateta effort that struck the post, while limiting Shakhtar to just one shot on goal. Manager Oliver Glasner lauded his team’s defensive resilience, saying, "The players stuck to the plan and worked tirelessly. We didn’t give them many chances, though set-pieces were a threat."

Glasner highlighted the team’s response to Shakhtar’s equalizer, noting, "The reaction was impressive. We created chances, regained the lead, and substitutes made a huge impact." However, he stressed the need for improvement, adding, "This is just the first step. We must perform even better at home to reach the final."