UEFA Conference League Matchday 1: What to look out for

Crystal Palace meet Dynamo Kyiv on the first night of the new UEFA Conference League campaign, which also features Red Lightning and a Little Thunderbolt.

All kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated

Thursday 2 October 2025
Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace (18:45)
Lausanne-Sport vs Breidablik (18:45)
Noah vs Rijeka (18:45)
Zrinjski vs Lincoln Red Imps (18:45)
Jagiellonia Białystok vs Hamrun Spartans (18:45)
Lech Poznań vs SK Rapid (18:45)
KuPS Kuopio vs Drita (18:45)
Omonoia vs Mainz (18:45)
Rayo Vallecano vs Shkëndija (18:45)
Aberdeen vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Sparta Praha vs Shamrock Rovers
Fiorentina vs Sigma Olomouc
AEK Larnaca vs AZ Alkmaar
Legia Warszawa vs Samsunspor
Celje vs AEK Athens
Raków vs Universitatea Craiova
Shelbourne vs Häcken
Slovan Bratislava vs Strasbourg

The Eagles have landed

Crystal Palace celebrate their maiden FA Cup successGetty Images

Lublin, Poland, will be the venue for South London side Crystal Palace's first major European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side having stunned Manchester City to win last season's FA Cup. "It's a huge achievement going into the league phase," said the Austrian coach, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to 2021/22 UEFA Europa League glory.

Dynamo Kyiv will be Palace's first league phase opponents, the Ukrainian side hoping to benefit from their latest crop of academy talent, with 20-year-old central defender Taras Mykhavko already earning comparisons to Paris summer signing Illia Zabarnyi.

Thunderbolts and lightning

Samsunspor are embarking on their first league phase campaignAnadolu via Getty Images

Palace's only previous European appearances came in a single tie in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup when they were eliminated (4-0 on aggregate) by Turkish side Samsunspor, who remarkably are also back in European competition for the first time since 1998, and will also be kicking off their first-ever league phase campaign in Poland, at Legia Warszawa.

The league phase has Red Lightning in the form of Samsunspor, and it has a thunderbolt too since Spain's Rayo Vallecano (nickname: Rayito or The Little Thunderbolt) are back for only their second UEFA club competition campaign, having reached the 2000/01 UEFA Cup quarter-finals in their previous attempt. From Vallecas, a working-class neighbourhood in Madrid, they will look to maintain their unbeaten home record in Europe (W6 D1) as they welcome North Macedonia's Shkëndija on Matchday 1.

Welcome back, Viola

Edin Džeko (right) joined Fiorentina in the summerGetty Images

While there is always something new to see in the Conference League, the competition has its regulars too, not least two-time finalists Fiorentina. Stefano Pioli's side have played 40 Conference League games (four more than any other side) and have scored 92 goals in the competition (41 more than anyone else). Expect Edin Džeko, Albert Gudmundsson, and new signing Roberto Piccoli to bring star quality.

Also back for another spin is Jagiellonia striker Afimico Pululu. The top scorer in last season's Conference League with eight goals, the Angolan is within four strikes of becoming the competition's all-time top scorer (Arthur Cabral, Vangelis Pavlidis and Eran Zahavi are currently joint top with 12). He will look to open his 2025/26 account as his side host Hamrun Spartans, the first Maltese side to reach a major UEFA league phase.