AFCON 2025
European nights delivered high drama on Thursday as the UEFA Conference League play-off first legs got underway. From hard-fought draws to surprise upsets, fans were treated to football that swung from one end of the pitch to the other.
Zrinjski Mostar 1–1 Crystal Palace Held in Bosnia
The evening’s opening whistle in Mostar saw Zrinjski Mostar take on Crystal Palace in a fiery encounter under freezing conditions.
Palace looked to be in control early. Ismaïla Sarr rose to the occasion just before half-time, sliding in a composed finish after good build-up play to put the visitors ahead 43 minutes in. But the advantage didn’t last; midway through the second half, Karlo Abramovic nestled a low drive past the Palace keeper to level the tie 55th minute, igniting celebrations among the home support. Despite Palace dominating possession and peppering the Zrinjski goal, they couldn’t find a winner, leaving this tie delicately poised ahead of the return leg at Selhurst Park.
In Yerevan, FC Noah stunned Dutch visitors AZ Alkmaar with a gritty home performance.
The deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when home skipper Hovhannes Hambardzumyan fired his side ahead, punishing a delayed clearance from Alkmaar. Despite AZ’s heavy possession and a late flurry of chances; including two strikes crashing off the woodwork they couldn’t find the leveller. The Armenians defended well to secure a famous 1–0 win and hand the Dutch side an uphill battle for next week’s return fixture.
Moving north to Finland, KuPS Kuopio hosted Lech Poznań in a tie that saw the Polish side take control.
Lech wasted little time asserting themselves. Inside the first 10 minutes, a clever combination ended with the visitors taking the lead, silencing the home crowd. They doubled their advantage before half-time and looked comfortable as KuPS struggled to create clear openings in sub-zero conditions. By the final whistle, Lech Poznań ran out 2–0 winners, carrying a healthy advantage back to Poland for the second leg.
In the Czech Republic, Sigma Olomouc and FC Lausanne-Sport battled through an intense midfield slugfest.
The Swiss visitors opened the scoring early, taking advantage of a defensive slip to make it 1–0 before the break. Olomouc responded with purpose shortly after, grabbing an equaliser that restored balance to the tie. The 1–1 finish reflects two evenly matched sides and sets up a fascinating return in Lausanne next week.
The standout result came in Poland, where ACF Fiorentina put on a commanding second-half display to crush Jagiellonia Białystok 3–0. After a cagey first half, Fiorentina sparked into life with a trio of goals that sent their travelling supporters into raptures, giving them a strong advantage ahead of the return leg.
In Kosovo, the hosts FC Drita fought bravely but were ultimately undone by NK Celje, who struck three times on the road to secure a 3–2 victory in an end-to-end contest. Celje’s attacking intent paid off after they broke the deadlock and held on despite late pressure.
Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, HNK Rijeka secured a valuable 1–1 win at Omonia Nicosia, earning a slender but crucial away goal that could prove decisive in the tie. Rijeka’s winner came late, leaving Omonia to chase parity.
Turkish visitors Samsunspor also picked up a vital road win, edging Shkëndija 1–0 in North Macedonia courtesy of a second-half breakthrough, giving them momentum before hosting the return fixture
