Conference League Matchday 1 highlights and round-up: Crystal Palace, Fiorentina win on opening night

Crystal Palace won away on their league phase debut, while Fiorentina also made a positive start to the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League.

UEFA.com wraps up the Matchday 1 action.

Dynamo Kyiv 0-2 Crystal Palace

Daniel Muñoz and Eddie Nketiah scored as Crystal Palace marked their league phase debut with an accomplished performance in Lublin. Summer signing Yeremy Pino crossed for Muñoz's 31st-minute header before displaying exquisite skill to supply Nketiah, who struck from close range 13 minutes after his half-time introduction. Wide man Borna Sosa received a second caution for Palace with 14 minutes remaining, but the Eagles restricted their opponents to one attempt on target.

Fiorentina 2-0 Sigma Olomouc

The Viola are unbeaten in ten league phase Conference League home games (W8 D2) after overcoming dogged Czech opponents. Roberto Piccoli got the opener midway through the first half with a coolly-taken effort on his competition debut, and Luca Ranieri nearly doubled the lead as he struck the crossbar before the break. The visitors held their own and forced David de Gea into a handful of decent saves, but Fiorentina sealed the points with Cher Ndour's spectacular added-time strike.

Best of the rest

• Unai Lopez (28) and Fran Pérez (32) scored Rayo Vallecano's first-ever league phase goals as the side from the Madrid suburbs kicked off with a 2-0 win against North Macedonia's Shkëndija.
• Germany's Mainz last played in a UEFA group stage/league phase in 2016/17 and returned to action with a 1-0 away win against Omonoia; France's Strasbourg won 2-1 at Slovan Bratislava in their first group stage/league phase game since 2005/06.
• A total of 48 goals were scored on opening night and only one player got more than one, Franko Kovačević hitting all three for Celje as the Slovenian side beat AEK Athens 3-1, Kovačević having already hit seven in qualifying.