Crystal Palace roared back on UEFA Conference League matchday five to record a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Shelbourne last week – boosting our prospects of automatic qualification for the Round of 16.
Thursday evening's match against Finnish double winners KuPS Kuopio at Selhurst Park (20:00 GMT kick-off) will therefore be a decisive one – and we want to make sure every seat at Selhurst Park is filled, to give Oliver Glasner's side the best backing possible.
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So what do we need on Thursday evening – and what happens after that?
After Thursday's sixth and final matchday, the final league table will determine who qualifies for the knockout stage – and in which round they will enter.
If teams are level on points at the end of the league phase, they are separated by goal difference; then goals scored; then away goals scored.
The top-eight sides after six league games advance straight to the Round of 16.
Sides ranking 9th-24th will qualify for a two-legged play-off round.
The sides who rank between 9th and 16th will be at home in the second legs of those play-off ties, taking on teams who finished between 17th and 24th, who will have the disadvantage of being away from home in the second leg.
A 3-0 win over Shelbourne in Dublin saw the Eagles bounce back brilliantly from defeat against RC Strasbourg on matchday four, giving our goal difference a decent boost as well.
After ending matchday four in 18th, the Eagles soared back up the table to climb to ninth, after first-half goals from Christantus Uche, Eddie Nketiah and Yéremy Pino. Palace sit on nine points, with the likes of AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina, Celje, and AZ Alkmaar all on the same total, but with the Eagles holding the best goal difference – of +5 – ahead of Thursday's games.
A win for Palace on Thursday evening would seal a top-eight place – so long as we still have a superior goal difference to Larnaca, Fiorentina, Celje, and AZ Alkmaar at the end of play.
A win for Palace does not mathematically confirm a top-eight finish for us.
While three points would mean we would definitely finish above at least one of either Mainz or Samsunspor (who start the day in the top-eight, and play each other), but we would still be dependent on the outcome of matches involving:
Therefore, a win on Thursday would be likely, but not certain, to assure us a direct route into the last 16.
A draw on Thursday would assure us of at least a play-off place (9th-24th) – and could theoretically result in us finishing in the top eight, albeit we would be dependent on the matches listed above.
If we lose, we are still likely to qualify for the play-offs. Although this outcome would be dependent on results elsewhere, the chance of being surpassed by all 15 teams between ourselves and 25th place (currently KuPS) is highly unlikely.
We will qualify for the Round of 16 directly.
We would learn our opponents for the Round of 16 – and potential opponents for the quarter-finals and semi-finals (and by extension final) – on Friday, 27th February.
We would be at home for the second leg in the Round of 16.
We would qualify for the play-off round, which is likely to see the first leg take place on Thursday, 19th February 2026, and the second for Thursday, 26th February 2026.
If we finish between 9th-16th, we would be at home for the second leg of the play-offs. If we finish 17th-24th, we’d be away for the second leg.
We would know the identiy of a pair of teams who could be our opponents in the play-off, based on ranking (for example, if we finish ninth, we would play against the either the team finishing 23rd or 24th).
The identity of this team would be confirmed in a draw on Friday, 16th January 2026.
From the Round of 16 onwards, the competition mirrors other European tournaments, with two-legged home and away knockout ties.
This is until the Final, of course, which will take place at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday, 27th May 2026.
Other dates to be aware of include:
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Crystal Palace v KuPS Kuopio
