Roundup of the semi-finals action as the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League finalists became official.
Crystal Palace looked to consolidate their pre-season title favourites status by reaching the final in their first-ever European campaign, but faced a difficult test against 2008-09 UEFA Europa League champions – Shakhtar Donetsk.
Rayo Vallecano meanwhile sought to extend their own fairytale European adventure as they met 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup winners, Strasbourg in their semi-final tie.
Shakhtar Donetsk 2-5 Crystal Palace
Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Jorgen Strand Larsen saw Palace secure a comfortable 3-1 first-leg away victory over Shakhtar in Krakow, Poland, after Ismaila Sarr initially fired the Eagles in front inside the opening 21 seconds before Oleh Ocheretko equalised from a 47th-minute corner.
Pedro Henrique’s own-goal and Sarr’s 52nd-minute winner saw Palace beat Shakhtar 2-1 at Selhurst Park to clinch the second-leg victory and secure a 5-2 aggregate triumph over their Ukrainian opposition, despite Eguinaldo’s strike having prevented a fourth knockout clean sheet at home for Oliver Glasner’s Eagles.
Rayo Vallecano 2-0 Strasbourg
Alemao nodded in a 54th-minute first-leg winner for Rayo Vallecano in a cagey dominant display at home to Strasbourg, as they limited the top seeds to no shots on target from any of their five shots.
Alemao eventually wrapped up Vallecano’s spot in the final with a 2-0 aggregate win, after he struck a 42nd-minute winner in a 1-0 second-leg victory away at Strasbourg as the top seeds limped out of the competition.
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