AFCON 2025
Crystal Palace secured their place in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage after holding Fredrikstad to a tense goalless draw in Norway.
With only 14 fit outfield players available, Oliver Glasner’s side showed grit and discipline to protect their first-leg advantage. Jean-Philippe Mateta went close to scoring while Adam Wharton impressed on his European away debut, but it was defensive resilience that saw Palace extend their unbeaten run to 13 matches, equalling a club record.
Over 1,700 travelling fans witnessed the club’s first away fixture in a major European competition, a historic moment that may also mark captain Marc Guéhi’s farewell as speculation over his future intensifies.
In Florence, Fiorentina had to come from behind against Polissya Zhytomyr but eventually claimed a 3–2 victory to progress 6–2 on aggregate.
Edin Džeko opened his account for the club, sealing the win and confirming their passage to the group stage. Despite a spirited showing from the Ukrainian side, Fiorentina’s superior quality told in the closing stages as they maintained control over the tie.
Shelbourne also celebrated a famous night, overcoming Linfield 2–0 thanks to goals from Harry Wood and Ali Coote.
The result carried them through with a comfortable aggregate scoreline, ensuring group-stage football and a minimum windfall of €3.8 million in UEFA prize money. Coote, who starred throughout, was central to the Dublin club’s success and was hailed by supporters at full-time.
In Spain, Rayo Vallecano marked their long-awaited return to European competition with a 2–0 win over Neman Grodno. Álvaro García and Sergio Camello provided the goals to secure qualification for the first time in 24 years.
The match was not without controversy, as Camello saw another strike ruled out by VAR, but Jorge de Frutos shone with a goal and an assist to ensure Vallecas had reason to celebrate.
The biggest drama of the night came in Istanbul, where Besiktas crashed out against Lausanne after a 1–1 first-leg draw. Nathan Butler-Oyedeji’s decisive strike for the Swiss side proved costly, and the aftermath was immediate and brutal: Besiktas parted ways with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær in a terse 40-word statement.
The defeat capped a bitterly disappointing European campaign for the Turkish giants and underlined Lausanne’s resilience on the road.
