It’s an occasion Crystal Palace supporters have waited a lifetime for. Around 6,000 are expected to make the pilgrimage to southern Poland for the first leg of their Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday evening, with many travelling in expectation of eventually adding more silverware to the FA Cup and Community Shield they have already won under Oliver Glasner. Not that Glasner is thinking that far ahead.

“The road is shorter now,” said the Palace manager, who has consistently played down his side’s chances of adding to his Europa League triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. “But of course when you get to this stage of the competition everybody wants to win – nobody wants to play a semi-final and lose. That is the goal but whether we can achieve it I don’t know. We have a huge desire, we have really the confidence and the belief that we can win against Shakhtar Donetsk, but we also have huge respect for the team we are playing.”

Palace’s demotion from their place in European football’s second-tier competition after falling foul of Uefa’s rules on multiclub ownership now feels like a distant memory. While a tifo unveiled before their league-stage match against Larnaca in October predicting their path to next month’s final in Leipzig was proven a tad presumptuous as they were embarrassed by the Cypriot side at Selhurst Park, Palace were able put that behind them and their expertise in European matches has been growing ever since.

Having established a club-record 19 match unbeaten run that included the victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, the acrimonious departure of the club captain, Marc Guéhi, to City in January threatened to undermine their progress as Glasner confirmed he would also be leaving at the end of the season. That came in the middle of a 12-match winless run in all competitions, with suggestions that Glasner was trying to get himself sacked after he accused the club’s board of “abandoning” him and his squad. But it is to his and the Palace chair, Steve Parish’s, great credit that Palace have been able to rediscover the resolve that helped them make history 12 months ago.

A run of eight matches unbeaten ended at Liverpool on Saturday but Glasner has managed to help his side rediscover their form just when it matters most.

“I didn’t fall out with the chairman – we just had some discussions and that’s normal. If we are always hugging each other the whole time maybe you don’t get the best output. We all have the same role, which is playing the best possible season,” said Glasner. “The rest of the players make it so easy for me because they are always listening. They are always giving their best in every single training. It’s easy because I really love to manage this group of players. They give so much back with their attitude.”

Palace face a Shakhtar side who have only lost once in their last 23 matches in all competitions. Despite being almost 1,000 miles from the Donbas Arena that last hosted a match in 2014 when Russia invaded eastern Ukraine, they will be backed by vociferous exiled support – albeit with thousands of visiting fans also anticipated to be in the home sections having bought tickets on spec as soon as they got past Fiorentina in the last round.

The red and blue surroundings of Wisla Krakow’s stadium should at least make Palace feel at home, although Glasner is clearly wary of facing opponents whose manager, Arda Turan, pointed out will be playing for the pride of their war-torn nation.

“I’m a dreamer, we can’t give up our dreams and I believe these dreams will be deeply felt by my players as well,” said Turan. “There is war in Ukraine and yet people live their lives. Every day shows that this nation never gives up.”

Tyrick Mitchell was Palace’s only fitness concern but the England defender has travelled and is relishing the opportunity to win another trophy for Glasner before he leaves. “That’s one of the main reasons. Winning the competition for ourselves and for the gaffer,” he said. “We see every day how much effort he puts into us. How much dedication he has for us. So I think that would be one of the best sendoffs, to win a competition for him and all his staff.”