Shakhtar Donetsk headed into last Thursday’s Europa Conference League semi-final trailing 3–1. While their chances of overturning Crystal Palace’s first-leg lead appeared slim, for their supporters just reaching this stage was a triumph. With Russia’s war in Ukraine settled into a grinding stalemate, Shakhtar’s run to the semi-final has given Ukrainians something positive to rally around – and if a place in the final proves a step too far, their supporters remain unfazed. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM