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Crystal Palace can almost touch European glory – but Shakhtar Donetsk must be taken seriously

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For many Crystal Palace fans, flights have already been booked and accommodation sorted for the trip to Leipzig at the end of May.

Palace are in a commanding position in the UEFA Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, 3-1 up from the first leg, and closing in on a European final, and one of the most significant games in their history.

“We’re on our way, to the Leipzig we’re on our way,” has been the song of choice from the Palace supporters. It has been louder than ever in recent weeks since overcoming Fiorentina in the quarter-finals and in Poland it was sung with real belief. They know their team has one foot in the final. The feeling is they will not throw this away.

There is logic to that, and confidence is entirely reasonable. There are plenty of reasons to believe that manager Oliver Glasner and his players will ensure they see this through, but it is not an absolute certainty. For the team to treat it as such would be a huge mistake.

The 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday was abject, even though it is partially explained by Glasner as “mental fatigue” and the inevitable focus being on Thursday’s decider against Shakhtar. It was a much-changed side, too.

Shakhtar are a dangerous opponent. They came back at Palace strongly and at no point in the tie so far have they wilted. The spirit they showed after conceding the earliest goal in Conference League history and the way they approached the second half should give Palace pause for thought.

Oliver Glasner will want Palace to control Thursday’s second leg (Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

A goal two minutes after the break to equalise was a demonstration of their character and self-belief. That will surely be the attitude they bring to south London.

They will have confidence off the back of a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kyiv on Sunday. It continues their excellent run of form: the defeat to Palace and a quarter-final second leg loss to Lech Poznan are the only times they have been beaten in their last 25 games.

The Ukrainian side are also unbeaten away from home in the tournament this season, winning all but one of their games on their travels — although that was a 2-2 draw with AZ in the quarter-finals. Palace do not require a victory on the night, but that record may be on their minds and the minds of the Shakhtar players.

Palace have not thrived at Selhurst Park this season, either. While the atmosphere will be positive, if they concede an early goal, nerves could set in as they have on several other occasions this season.

Any such apprehension would be a natural consequence of the game’s importance in the club’s history and the anticipation at what is at stake.

They have also had to adapt to different refereeing standards in Europe than they would expect in the Premier League, something which favoured Shakhtar in the first leg. The visitors will likely take the game to Palace, be aggressive and make the most of any contact — anything, in short, which might create momentum and intensity in a game that Palace will try to shut down.

Shakhtar’s most impressive player in Poland, and in general, is the right winger Alisson Santana. He was a constant threat, playing with real intensity, and it was only a lack of finesse with the final balls that let him down.

Alisson Santana was Shakhtar’s best player in the first leg (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images)

Shakhtar are very capable of creating opportunities and scoring goals, far more so than many of the teams Palace have faced in this competition to date. 

Finally, as Glasner has been at pains to point out, they have more European experience than Palace. Glasner and Daichi Kamada were integral with their know-how in the first leg, but Shakhtar’s European muscle memory is significant.

All of these are far from insurmountable challenges and Palace are heavy favourites for good reason. The onus is on the away side to come and win comfortably, and that could play into Palace’s preferred style of play, allowing them to sit back and hit on the counter. The supporters deserve a chance to enjoy the night and an early home goal would surely see them through.

But for now the focus must remain on being resolute defensively against a strong attacking side with flair and obvious talent. Shakhtar are the best team Palace have faced in the competition and despite the two-goal advantage, their threat deserves to be taken seriously.

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Chicago Bears 27-7 Philadelphia Eagles: Case Keenum drives Bears to three touchdowns in first NFL game since 2023 | NFL News

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Case Keenum passed for two touchdowns in his first NFL start in almost three years as Chicago Bears shut down Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles for a 27-7 victory on Monday night.

Stepping in for Caleb Williams, Keenum starred completing 24 passes from 34 attempts to make 247 yards. He also scored his first rushing touchdown since 2019 on a one-yard plunge with seven minutes and 19 seconds left to play, capping a 13-play drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock.

It was Keenum’s first action since he started for Houston in a 36-22 loss to Cleveland in December 2023.

“To get a shot again like this? You dream of it,” Keenum said. “That’s why I’m still here doing this when I get knocked down.

“I got knocked down my whole career. I just keep getting up, coming to work, just keep bouncing back.”

Williams was sidelined by a right hamstring injury, and Tyson Bagent backed up Keenum after he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Sunday.

“He [Keenum] knows where everyone is supposed to be on every single play and so he is really quick to recognise coverage,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said.

“He knows why we’re calling the play and what we’re looking for and if we’re not getting that he’s accelerating through it really quickly. That’s what you get when you’re 15-plus years playing that position in this league.”

Kalif Raymond had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown as Chicago, who have won two and lost one game this season, bounced back after an ugly 9-3 loss to Minnesota.

Philadelphia, who also hold a record of 2-1 this season, turned the ball over three times and failed to record a takeaway for the third consecutive game to begin the season.

Hurts successfully threw 16 passes out of 25 attempts for 153 yards, but conceded an interception, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 yards from 15 carries.

“We all have to own that loss right there,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.

“I don’t think anybody coached well. I don’t think anyone played well. It was a true team loss. And when it’s a true team loss, you know I have to look at myself first.”

Stats leaders:

Chicago Bears

Passing: Case Keenum, 24/34, 247 yards, two touchdowns

Rushing: D’Andre Swift, 20 carries, 84 yards

Receiving: Kalif Raymond, six carries, 90 yards, one touchdown

Philadelphia Eagles

Passing: Jalen Hurts, 16/25, 153 yards, one interception

Rushing: Saquon Barkley, 15 carries, 82 yards

Receiving: DeVonta Smith, six carries, 65 yards

Keenum capped Chicago’s first drive with a shovel pass to Luther Burden for an eight-yard touchdown, and he connected with Raymond open out wide on a 41-yard touchdown in the second half.

Trailing 7-0, Hurts drove Philadelphia deep into Chicago territory in the second quarter before he absorbed a late hit by linebacker D’Marco Jackson along the sideline.

Hurts was pulled off the field to be checked for a concussion, while backup Andy Dalton was intercepted by rookie Dillon Thieneman in the back of the end zone with just over six minutes to half-time.

Hurts said he was waiting for clearance to go back in when Dalton turned it over.

“I was just waiting for the thumbs up,” Hurts said. “I felt fine, we already checked it. I don’t know the extent of the process. Obviously, I wish we could have expedited things. I know I felt fine.”

Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak as time expired in the first half, but Chicago controlled the final two periods.

Hurts was picked off by linebacker TJ Edwards late in the third quarter. Edwards dropped a potential interception on third down on Philadelphia’s first drive of the second half.

Chicago finished with 24 first downs and 128 yards rushing. The Bears had 28 first downs and 281 yards on the ground in a 24-15 win at Philadelphia last season.

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Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears

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Highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles at the Chicago Bears from Week 3 of the NFL season.

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Chicago Bears 27-7 Philadelphia Eagles: Case Keenum shines on first start since 2023

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Veteran quarterback Case Keenum starred on his first start for almost three years as the Chicago Bears handed the Philadelphia Eagles their first defeat of the season.

Starting his first NFL game since December 2023, the 38-year-old threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Bears won 27-7 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

It is the first time he has thrown multiple touchdowns in a game since October 2019, while he is also the oldest player to score a rushing touchdown for the Bears.

Keenum, an NFL journeyman playing at his eighth franchise, was called into action because of a knee injury to Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent’s concussion.

Wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who scored a touchdown, said: “He was like, ‘I may not be a cowboy, but this is definitely not my first rodeo – a lot of confidence in him; a lot of confidence in himself.

“He practises, preps every week, but particularly this week. We didn’t expect anything different from him.”

Keenum’s first drive resulted in a touchdown for Luther Burden III, and Cairo Santos added a 29-yard field goal before Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for a touchdown to cut the Bears’ half-time lead to 10-7.

Santos added a second field goal early in the third quarter before the Bears scored two touchdowns among 17 unanswered points.

The Bears defence limited the Eagles to 248 yards and picked off an interception off Jalen Hurts and replacement Andy Dalton.

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