Crystal Palace welcome Finnish outfit KuPS
Crystal Palace will be aiming to secure their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League when they welcome Finnish outfit KuPS to Selhurst Park for their final League Phase fixture today.
Crystal Palace remain in contention to secure a top-eight finish in the 36-team table, while KuPS can ill-afford to drop points if they wish to seal a playoff spot.
A total of 14 teams will battle it out for the final 11 places in the Conference League knockout rounds and Crystal Palace are one of those still in contention to qualify, with KuPS seeking to avoid an early elimination in their debut European campaign.
A draw on Thursday will be enough for Crystal Palace to secure at least a place in the knockout playoff round, but claiming maximum points is what KuPS and co will be aiming for, as they are keen to advance automatically to the last 16 and avoid playing another two games in an already-congested fixture schedule.
Both teams have something to play for on Thursday, yet it is hard to look beyond Crystal Palace claiming maximum points on home soil. KuPS will back themselves to be competitive at Selhurst Park, but the superior quality throughout Glasner’s squad should see the Eagles soar to victory.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Breidablik visit Stade de la Meinau to face Strasbourg
Needing a win to have any hope of making the knockout stage of the Conference League, Breidablik will visit Stade de la Meinau on Thursday for a date with Strasbourg.
The French side are top of the League Phase table after claiming a narrow 1-0 triumph at Aberdeen on matchday five, while Blikar are two points below the knockout playoff line in 27th, thanks to a 3-1 win over Shamrock Rovers.
Heading into the final matchday of the League Phase, Liam Rosenior has the comfort of knowing his side are guaranteed a place in the last 16 of this competition with 13 points.
Strasbourg are one of only two sides in the League Phase without a defeat thus far and could become only the second French team to end this stage unbeaten after Lille in 2023-24.
Lately, there have been two sides to them, one which is winless in four straight domestic outings with only one goal scored, while the other in Europe has seen them win three in a row by a combined margin of 5-2.
Heading into this contest, they are winless in their last two competitive games at Stade de la Meinau but have suffered only one defeat in their previous seven games played in Strasbourg (2-1 versus Brest).
Although the visitors are the ones with everything to play for, Strasbourg will want to use this as a confidence boost for Ligue 1 and go into the next phase of this tournament on a winning note.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Lausanne Sport, Fiorentina lock horns in Conference League
Fighting for a place in the Conference League’s knockout stage, Fiorentina and Lausanne Sport will lock horns on Thursday evening.
The Italian side enter this week’s league-phase finale one point ahead of their Swiss hosts, with both occupying a playoff spot.
In contrast to their recent Conference League campaigns – which all ended in the semis or final – crisis club Fiorentina have limped through this term’s competition so far.
Stuck to the foot of Serie A, the Viola started well enough in Europe, but consecutive defeats – to Mainz and AEK Athens – left them in some trouble ahead of last week’s game against Dynamo Kyiv.
Having failed to fire this term, strike pair Moise Kean and Albert Gudmundsson both gained some redemption by finding the net at Stadio Franchi, and Fiorentina hung on for a 2-1 win.
Ahead of the sixth and final matchday, that leaves the Tuscan club tucked inside the playoff places, trailing the all-important top eight by just one point.
So, depending on results elsewhere, victory on Thursday could see Paolo Vanoli‘s struggling side go straight through to the last 16.
Both teams have been guilty of missing chances throughout this season’s league phase, so it could be a low-scoring encounter.
A draw would probably suit either side, surely booking their place in the playoffs – albeit Fiorentina will be more frustrated to miss out on the top eight.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Drita travel away to face Rayo Vallecano
On Thursday, Rayo Vallecano and Drita will lock horns in the final round of fixtures in the League Phase of the Conference League.
The Spanish side head into matchday six in seventh position, while the visitors are sitting in 19th place in the standings.
Rayo have performed well in their first appearance in a main draw of European competition since they reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2000-01.
Inigo Perez‘s side have won three of their five League Phase games (D1, L1), including a narrow 2-1 victory in last Thursday’s away clash against Jagiellonia Bialystok, thanks to goals from Sergio Camello and Pacha Espino.
Having qualified for the knockout rounds, Rayo know that a win on Thursday will guarantee a top-eight finish and secure progression straight to the last 16, although a failure to claim all three points will put them at risk of dropping below eighth spot.
Los Franjirrojos will enter their final League Phase game on the back of the goalless draw in Monday’s home clash against Real Betis.
Rayo will be frustrated with the fact that they have now gone six La Liga games without a win (D4, L2), although Monday’s result at least extended their unbeaten home run to six competitive matches (W3, D3).
Rayo have won all three of their European home games this season, and we think that the Spanish hosts will make full use of home advantage again to pick up all three points and seal a top-eight finish in the League Phase.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
AEK Athens 20:00 Universitatea Craiova
AZ 20:00 Jagiellonia Białystok
Lausanne-Sport 20:00 Fiorentina
Legia Warszawa 20:00 Lincoln Red Imps
Omonia Nicosia 20:00 Raków Częstochowa
Shamrock Rovers versus Hamrun Spartans
Sigma Olomouc 20:00 Lech Poznań
Slovan Bratislava 20:00 Häcken
