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We've arrived at the semi-final stage of this season's UEFA Conference League, with the first legs played on Thursday. Rayo Vallecano of the Spanish La Liga host French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. On this page, we focus on Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace. The third-best team in the Ukrainian Premier League plays a side that ended 12th in England.
Shakhtar v Crystal won't be decided this week, but the first leg is crucial. A home win would give the Miners something to protect at Selhurst Park in the second leg, boosting their chances of going through. A victory on the road would put Palace in a commanding position.
Each of the legal and licensed sportsbooks featured on this page offer pre-match betting odds on a long list of interesting markets. You can gamble on the match-winner, first team to score, total cards, and more. If you need a little help finding a strong pick, experienced football betting analyst Frank Monkhouse has three Shakhtar v Palace bets to consider.
Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace tips
Over 1.5 goals @ 4/11 (bet365)
Both teams to score @ 5/6 (bet365)
Shakhtar to score first @ 6/4 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Total goals - Over 1.5
The first of my three suggested bets on Thursday evening's live semi-final is for the match to produce more than one goal. When following this prediction, you're not interested in which team scores first, which player gets the goal, or the winner of the match. A 1-1 draw is every bit as useful as a 5-1 win for either side. As long as we get two or more goals, we're happy.
Taking over 1.5 goals would've landed you a profit in the quarter-finals. Shakhtar Donetsk beat AZ 3-0 here in the first leg, before battling to a 2-2 draw on the road to progress 5-2 on aggregate. Switching to Crystal Palace, the Londoners beat Fiorentina 3-0 in the UK capital, and lost 2-1 in Italy. There are goals in both camps, and I'm confident they'll deliver again.
Let's switch to how the Eagles have performed in recent weeks. They lost 3-1 at Anfield in the English Premier League on Saturday. They also earned an important 2-1 win over Newcastle United earlier this month, and are capable of scoring again. Palace found the net at least once in each of their last ten away games in all competitions. More of the same.
Tip: Over 1.5 goals @ 4/11 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace ends with more than one goal scored, you'll secure a profit.
Both teams to score - Yes
Moving on to my second Conference League semi-final bet worth a look, and we're backing both teams to score. You can follow this pick as a single and target a small profit, but it'll be better used in your midweek multiples, including accumulators and Bet Builders. Again, the winning team doesn't matter: all you need is for each team to score at least one goal.
Again, we take heart from the latest stats at Flashscore. A bet on both teams to score landed at the weekend when Crystal Palace lost 3-1 at Arne Slot's Liverpool. The Premier League side have already featured five times this month, with both teams to score landing on three occasions. Before losing to Liverpool, Palace lost 2-1 at Fiorentina and beat Newcastle 2-1.
Switching to Shakhtar Donetsk, both teams scored in their draw with AZ on the road last time. BTTS was also a bet that boosted your balance when the Miners lost 2-1 to Lech Poznan, after beating the same opponent 3-1 in the first leg. With both clubs knowing the value of an aggregate advantage, it would come as no surprise to see this bet land again.
Tip: Both teams to score @ 5/6 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You'll make a profit if Shakhtar and Palace score at least one goal each.
Team to score first - Shakhtar
As is often the case, I'll sign off with a third bet at more appealing odds. On Thursday, we're placing our stake on the Ukrainian Premier League side to break the deadlock. When backing Shakhtar Donetsk to score the game's first goal, it doesn't matter if they go 1-0 up inside 60 seconds or net to win the match 1-0 deep into stoppage time.
Donetsk scored first in that 2-2 draw with AZ in the quarter-final second leg. It took them until the 58th minute to get their goal, but it was worth the wait for backers. Shakhtar also netted to make it 1-0 in the first leg against AZ, again scoring late in the match. Those meetings serve as a reminder that you don't need an early goal to beat the bookies with this market.
Oliver Glasner's team conceded the first goal against Liverpool on Saturday, and it took just 35 minutes for the Reds to get their noses in front. Despite beating Newcastle at Selhurst Park, Palace went into the interval 1-0 down, needing two late goals to snatch the win. With Shakhtar desperate for a strong start, I'm happy to trust them in the first scorer market.
Tip: Shakhtar to score first @ 6/4 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Your bookmaker will drop the profits from this bet into your account balance if Shakhtar Donetsk score the opening goal of the match.
Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace odds
Shakhtar Donetsk win @ 27/10 (bet365)
Crystal Palace win @ 21/20 (bet365)
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.