KuPS gave Crystal Palace a scare while Fiorentina lost at Lausanne-Sport, but both teams advanced on a dramatic final day of league phase action, finalizing the line-up for the UEFA Conference League knockout stages.
KuPS Surprises Crystal Palace
A thrilling 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park secured KuPS a spot in the knockout phase play-offs. Goals from Piotr Parzyszek and Ibrahim Cisse within three minutes shocked the Eagles after Christantus Uche’s superb opener in the fifth minute.
Oliver Glasner’s substitutions sparked life into the home side; a perfect cross from Tyrick Mitchell, who had just come off the bench, found an unmarked Justin Devenny at the far post. However, Palace could not find the winner that would have sent them through to the round of 16, instead finishing 10th in the league phase and joining their Finnish visitors in the knockout phase play-offs.
Fiorentina’s Narrow Defeat
Lausanne-Sport narrowly missed a top-eight finish despite beating Fiorentina 1-0 in Switzerland. The first half had few chances, with a Sekou Fofana attempt skewing wide being the closest either side came.
The second half was more eventful; after Enzo Kana-Biyik skimmed the post with a deft effort, his cross found Gabriel Sigua, who headed in from close range. Beyatt Lekoueiry could have added a second but was denied by Viola goalkeeper Tommaso Martinelli. Fiorentina will enter the play-offs after finishing 15th in the rankings.
Other Match Highlights
In another match, two late goals secured Strasbourg a 3-1 victory against a valiant Breidablik, ensuring that the French side finished top of the league phase with 16 points.
Additionally, Luka Jovic converted a penalty in the 15th minute of added time as AEK Athens won 3-2 against Universitatea Craiova, condemning the Romanian side to an exit from the competition. The Greek side, trailing 2-1 after 90 minutes, saw Derek Kutesa level the scores, and the victory meant they finished third in the table.