Dean Henderson: Away game against Shakhtar in Conference League was madness
Crystal Palace goalkeeper reflects on the difficult semi-final clash against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa Conference League.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson has identified the second leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk as the most challenging match of the current European campaign. Although the English side secured a 3:1 victory, the goalkeeper remains stunned by the pressure applied by the Ukrainian team.
Which match was the hardest? Shakhtar away. They were incredible. In the first half, I didn't understand how many attackers they had in our penalty area. So many shots were blocked in front of me... They were sensational. To get through that match and win 3:1 was incredible. I don't know how it happened. It was just madness that I saw in front of me – just waves of attacks. Dean Henderson
In the first leg of the semi-finals, Shakhtar lost to Crystal Palace 1:2. Following that result, the team failed to overcome the deficit in the return leg, where they ultimately fell 3:1 to the English side.