Kamada: Sometimes my left foot works well!
Daichi Kamada was typically modest in his appraisal of the goal which set Crystal Palace on their way to victory against Shakhtar Donetsk.
With the Eagles pegged back by the Ukrainian league leaders early in the second-half, Kamada seized control of the game, responding with a crisp half-volley to restore his team’s lead – and assisting Jørgen Strand Larsen for what could prove a crucial third in the context of the overall semi-final tie.
Kamada’s goal was his first for Palace since 30th October 2024 against Aston Villa in the League Cup – 18 months to the day to the club’s European semi-final – and the Japan international, modest at the best of times, was in jovial mood recounting the goal.
“Yes, my left foot sometimes works really well!” he smiled, speaking to Palace TV. “That was today!
“I don’t have many opportunities when you play the No. 6 in our system, but today I had the opportunity, and finally I could score!
“I think it’s a massive win for us today, and also I could score and make an assist today, so that's good for me – and the game was really good for us.”
Kamada was full of praise for Shakhtar, who enjoyed the majority of possession, set-pieces, shots on goal – and enough of the play to suggest they could, lest Palace not play to their best in the second leg, turn the tie around.
The Japan international saw parallels between his team’s display against the Ukrainian team and Aston Villa in last season’s FA Cup semi-final triumph at Wembley, adding: “Honestly, they play so good. They have so many good attackers.
“This game is similar to the Aston Villa [semi-final 3-0 win] last season. Then, we knew that our tactics really worked against this kind of team, and then we would get our situations.
“Then, we got many situations – and we scored three today.”
As for the second leg at Selhurst, with Leipzig potentially just 90 minutes away, Kamada remained focused on the task at hand in the Premier League: “This game will be a very exciting game for the fans, and the atmosphere will be amazing.
“But the next game is against Bournemouth, so we have to focus on the Bournemouth gam, and then we have to think about next week and the Conference League.”