Ismaila Sarr strikes again as Crystal Palace reach Conference League final

Ismaila Sarr sealed Crystal Palace’s progress to the final. Pic: John Walton/PA

Crystal Palace soared into their first European final after Conference League top scorer Ismaila Sarr scored his ninth goal in the competition to claim a 2-1 semi-final second-leg victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

For at least a certain generation of Eagles supporters, this was undoubtedly the most important fixture in nearly 102 years of Selhurst Park history, one the hosts entered with a 3-1 first-leg advantage and went on to settle the tie 5-2 on aggregate.

Daniel Munoz instigated a Pedro Henrique own goal to open the scoring in the 25th minute, cancelled out by Eguinaldo’s stylish wake-up call of an equaliser before the break.

Crystal Palace fans were able to celebrate a place in the Conference League final (John Walton/PA)

The instrumental Sarr punched Palace’s tickets to Leipzig seven minutes into the second half, extending his scoring streak to five consecutive Conference League matches.