'A crowd in unison, fully invested in this squad'

[BBC]

[Getty Images]

There are few moments as a football fan, or perhaps just as a Crystal Palace fan, when you can truly celebrate before the final whistle.

A year ago, as Ismaila Sarr swept home the third goal in the FA Cup semi-final, the crowd was already in party mode. On Thursday, Sarr gave the team a three-goal cushion once again in a semi-final, this time on aggregate. With 40 minutes to go, the fans were already celebrating on the road to Leipzig.

Many had their travel pre-booked and pre-planned after the 3-1 first leg. An optimistic gamble, from a fanbase usually grounded by pragmatism.

The fans have been blessed with many incredible nights at Selhurst Park over the past decade, and the Shakhtar game certainly must rank among the events to remember. A crowd in unison, fully invested in this squad.

Our first experience of a European campaign has been eye-opening. It was never likely to be all sunshine and rainbows, but it has been a grind. Ultimately, given the weight of fixtures, travel, and challenges, the aim is simply to make sure you reach the final 16 by any means, then the final eight, and so on.

There are no style points on offer, and the manner of victory isn't important - and in that sense, Palace have unquestionably succeeded.

A lot of credit for how the team has managed the knockout games goes to Oliver Glasner, who already has a Europa League medal to his name. That experience has shown in the knockout matches. Not every match has been the cleanest, but they have managed the ties well over the two legs and were never out of control.