At a Glance
- Crystal Palace’s Conference League continues
- Opta have determined their chances of winning
- Larnaca stand in the way of the quarter-finals
Crystal Palace face AEK Larnaca in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 tie tonight (March 19th). A place in the quarter-finals is up for grabs at AEK Arena in Cyprus.
A 0-0 draw led to boos from fans at Selhurst Park in the first leg, but the result wasn’t a surprise. Larnaca are the best defensive team in the competition, conceding just one goal during the league phase.
If Palace are to advance to the next round, they will have to defeat Larnaca on Cypriot soil. But how far can Oliver Glasner’s side go in their debut European campaign?
Crystal Palace Conference League chances revealed
Opta have released a list of tournament predictions generated by their supercomputer. It makes for extremely interesting reading for Palace fans.
Their latest predictions (via Football Rankings) have the Eagles down as favourites to win the Conference League. Glasner’s men have a 21% chance of winning their first European trophy come May 27th.
Opta’s Europa Conference League predictions table reads:
| Rank: | Club | Nation | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Crystal Palace | England | 21% |
| 2. | Strasbourg | France | 20% |
| 3. | Rayo Vallecano | Spain | 13% |
| 4. | AEK Athens | Greece | 11% |
| 5. | Mainz | Germany | 7% |
| 6. | Fiorentina | Italy | 7% |
| 7. | Shakhtar Dontesk | Ukraine | 7% |
| 8. | AZ Alkmaar | Netherlands | 4% |
| 9. | AEK Larnaca | Cyprus | 4% |
| 10. | Sparta Praha | Czechia | 3% |
| 11. | Raków Częstochowa | Poland | 2% |
Opta have also given their data for how Palace’s encounter with Larnaca is expected to pan out tonight. Glasner’s side are favoured at 53.9% to the Cypriots’ 23.5%.
Palace route to glory
The draw for the Conference League knockout rounds has already set Palace’s journey toward a potential final at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig. If Glasner’s side beat Larnaca, they will face either Rakow or Fiorentina in the quarter-finals.
Their tie is also currently level at 0-0 on aggregate heading into the second leg tonight. The Eagles will be expected to beat either side should they reach the next round.
A potential semi-final will come against Shakhtar, Lech Poznan, Alkmaar or Sparta Praha. A win over one of those takes Glasner’s men to the final against one of Rayo Vallecano, Samsunspor, AEK Athens, Celje, Mainz, Sigma Olomuc, Strasbourg or Rijeka.
If Palace were to win the Conference League, they would again be in Europe next season under a new manager. The winner of the competition is granted a place in the 2026-27 Europa League, a tournament the club will have been competing in if not for Nottingham Forest’s complaints over ownership rules.
