Jørgen Strand Larsen’s goal was in itself strong and perfectly timed. A goal that gives Crystal Palace exactly the distance they wanted against Shakhtar Donetsk before the second leg at home in the Conference League semi-finals. When you put the score into a larger perspective, as the state channel BBC does, it was very strong.
The BBC’s match summary of Thursday’s first semi-final match highlights the Norwegian striker’s mentality and strength.
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“Being a club’s record signing comes with a certain amount of pressure. Some players rise to cope with it, while others struggle. For Jørgen Strand Larsen, it seemed for a while like the latter. The Norwegian striker joined Crystal Palace from Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 2 in a deal worth up to £48 million, but managed just three Premier League goals in 14 appearances for the Eagles before Thursday’s Conference League semi-final match.
“His fourth goal, however, could arguably be his most important, as he created a magical moment that gave Palace a 3-1 lead against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Polish city of Krakow. Substitute Strand Larsen ran in on a pass from Daichi Kamada in the 84th minute, broke into the box and showed excellent composure to avoid a slipping tackle and then put a nice finish over the advancing Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.”
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“The glorious goal gave Oliver Glasner’s side a two-goal lead going into the second leg at Selhurst Park on Thursday 7 May, and they certainly have one foot in a first major European final,” concludes the BBC.
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