Matchday 2 of the UEFA Conference League takes place on Thursday, across three different kickoff times. We were provided plenty of drama three weeks ago to kick off the competition’s first season under this new format. Things will get more interesting from here, as clubs know they do not have as many games to turn things around as those in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
Ahead of the UECL matches, here is our preview of each match to take place this week.
Thursday: Early Kickoffs
Víkingur Reykjavík vs Cercle Brugge
Víkingur Reykjavík’s first-ever home game in the main rounds of a UEFA club competition will kick off Thursday’s proceedings. Heading to Iceland will be Cercle Brugge.
While Víkingur got the job done on the road in two of their three UECL qualifying round ties this summer, they did win their last home match in convincing fashion. The 5-0 defeat of Andorra’s UE Santa Coloma was the club’s joint-biggest win in Europe. After losing 4-0 on the opening matchday at Omonoia Nicosia, the Icelandic side, who has a do-or-die match for the league title on Sunday, will look to cause a scalp.
In contrast to their opponents, most of Cercle Brugge’s success in the qualifying rounds came at home. However, they did get the better of Wisła Kraków 6-1 away in the playoff round, just Cercle’s second ever away victory in Europe. That was followed up with a 6-2 matchday 1 success over Sankt Gallen. Groen en Zwart are the fifth different Belgian side to partake in the Conference League group phase.
APOEL Nicosia vs Borac Banja Luka
Cyprus’ APOEL will play their first UECL home game against Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka.
Quarterfinalists in the Champions League 13 years ago, APOEL is back in the main rounds in Europe for the first time in five years. Back then, the side from Nicosia won two of their three Europa League group games at home. However, they have lost two of three previous matches against Bosnian opposition, as Velež knocked them out of the 1988/89 UEFA Cup.
For Borac, it is their first taste of group stage/league phase football, becoming the second side from Bosnia to do so after Zrinjski last term. Before this season, the club from Banja Luka never got past the second round of qualifying in Europe. In 14 continental away games all-time, they have only won once, coming in their first trip back in 1975/76 to Rumelange.
Celje vs İstanbul Başakşehir
Celje gets their first taste of league phase football as İstanbul Başakşehir makes the trip to Slovenia to face them.
The Slovenian champions became the fourth Slovenian team after Maribor, Mura, and Olimpija Ljubljana to make the group phases in Europe. To do so, Rumeno-modri got the job done at home, where they won three of four games in qualifying. In fact, they are a six-game unbeaten run in continental home matches, making things intriguing heading in this clash.
İstanbul Başakşehir fell 2-1 to Rapid Wien on the first matchday, immediately putting the pressure on them. They have looked good on the road of late, winning five of seven, losing just once. Moreover, the Turks did not concede in either of their away games in qualifying this summer, and will look to keep that going in this match.
Djurgården vs Vitória de Guimarães
Djurgården and Vitória de Guimarães meet in Sweden as the hosts look to keep their impressive home form going.
The Swedes won all three home games in qualifying, keeping a clean sheet in two of the three outings. In their last appearance in the UECL proper two falls ago, Djurgården won all of their home games in the group stage, outscoring opponents 8-4 in the process. That leaves them as one to watch in this UECL league phase, for matches at the Tele2 Arena.
Vitória has came out on top in their last four continental away games, keeping clean sheets in all three ties this summer. Their only away victory in the main rounds of a UEFA club competition came against Eintracht Frankfurt five years ago. Looking to go two for two, the Portuguese team is facing Swedish opposition for the first time in this clash.
Gent vs Molde
For the second time in the Conference League’s short history, Gent and Molde square off in what is one of the ties of the whole league phase.
Two years ago, Gent ran rampant on matchday 6 of their last encounter, prevailing 4-0 to progress to the knockout rounds at the Norwegians’ expense. De Buffalo’s have won seven of nine home games in the UECL group phase, including all three ties last fall. The only ever-present club at this stage of the competition, Gent is unbeaten in their last 14 continental home clashes.
Molde has already faced Belgian opposition this season, knocking off Cercle Brugge 3-1 in Europa League qualifying. However, the defending Norwegian Cup winners have never taken a point on Belgian soil, losing all five previous encounters. After a 3-0 win on matchday 1, another victory will put them on course for the knockout rounds.
Hearts vs Omonoia Nicosia
Hearts hosts Omonoia Nicosia as both sides have the chance to go to two wins from as many games.
The Scots have just two victories in their last eight home ties in Europe, which is not promising going into this clash. A last-gasp win on matchday 1 has them aiming to win consecutive matches in Europe for the first time in eight years. In their last UECL main round appearance, they managed wins over RFS home and away.
Omonoia has six wins in Europe this season already, five coming in qualifying. Their one defeat came away to Zirə in the playoff round. In their previous UECL campaign, they failed to win any of their group games, drawing four times. Since that time, the Nicosia-based side has gotten the better of their opponents in three of five away matches.
Jagiellonia Białystok vs Petrocub
The champions of Poland and Moldova meets as Jagiellonia takes on Petrocub.
The Poles managed their biggest scalp in their brief European history on matchday 1, stunning FC København very late on. Now they return home, where they have lost four of their last six in continental play. Jagiellonia has never faced a team from Moldova, but will fancy their chances to make it two wins from two.
Petrocub has lost their last three European outings, conceding 10 goals in the process. Alb-negrii has just one away win to their credit all-time, coming against Laçi two years ago in the second qualifying round. In fact, their away record is so bad, they have only managed to score in three different games out of 12.
Larne vs Shamrock Rovers
There was one clear tie of the round for matchday 2 of the Conference League, as Northern Ireland’s Larne faces off with Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland. What a cracker this one will be.
Larne’s last continental home clash will forever go down in club folklore. Their 3-1 defeat of Lincoln Red Imps saw them become the first side from Northern Ireland to make the group phase of a major European club competition. The win ended a five-game winless run at home in Europe. Things will be a lot fascinating in Thursday’s game in what is their first matchup with an Irish opponent in continental action.
Shamrock Rovers has faced a Northern Irish outfit in Europe before, albeit 40 years ago. Back then, they were knocked out by Linfield in the 1984/85 European Cup on away goals. They will hope for better fortunes this time around. However, they have failed to win any of their last 11 away games, which will have to improve quickly.
Panathinaikos vs Chelsea
Another one of the standout ties this round, Panathinaikos battles Chelsea, pitting together two of the biggest teams in this season’s tournament.
Panathinaikos took out RC Lens in the playoff round, and also faced Ajax in the Europa League qualifiers this summer. Thus, this tie should not faze them. The Greeks failed to pick up all three points on matchday 1, piling the pressure going into this one. Pana’s record against English teams is not a good look, with just one victory in 18 attempts.
For Chelsea, they have never lost to Greek opposition, going 4-2-0 all-time. With that said, the Blues have lost their last three away games in Europe, including in the playoff round to Servette. It has been six years since they last faced a Greek club, beating PAOK home and away in the Europa League group stage.
Rapid Wien vs Noah
Two teams coming off of wins on matchday 1, Rapid Wien and Noah, square off in the Austrian capital with a great chance of going 2-0-0 on the line.
In their last nine continental home games, Rapid has lost just once, falling to FC Vaduz in the 2022/23 playoff round. Playing their second home tie in the UECL proper, Die Grün-Weißen defeated Vitesse in the knockout round playoffs in their home leg, despite ultimately falling 3-2 on aggregate.
In what is just their third campaign participating in European football, and first since 2021, Noah was one of the biggest stories this summer. In becoming the third Armenian team to make the UECL group phase, they also are the first side to make this stage of the competition from the first qualifying round. Their 2-1 victory over Shkëndija in Q1 is their only away win in Europe from six all-time games.
Sankt Gallen vs Fiorentina
Sankt-Gallen has the unenviable task of meeting the back-to-back finalists Fiorentina after losing heavily on matchday 1.
The six goals conceded to Cercle Brugge in their previous game was the most Sankt Gallen has ever conceded in a European clash. Thus, the Swiss club will be out to right the ship and pull off quite the scalp. Thursday will be the second time they face Italian opposition, having been eliminated by Inter Milan 5-1 on aggregate in the 1985/86 UEFA Cup first round.
Fiorentina took on Basel in the semifinals of this competition back in 2022/23, winning 4-3 on aggregate via a late goal in the return leg deep in extra time. That match was in Switzerland, where La Viola have never lost in six attempts (4-2-0). Their 2-0 win in the last game was their seventh in 13 at the group phase of the Conference League.
Thursday: Late Games
Real Betis vs FC København
Perhaps the most intriguing game of the late games, Real Betis battles København as the pair look to get points on the board.
It has been 27 years since Betis knocked København out of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in the second round, winning the home leg 2-0. That tie was the only time Los Verdiblancos faced a Danish team in Europe. They are also looking for their first victory in the UECL at the fourth time of asking, having lost to Legia Warszawa three week ago, while being knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb in the knockout playoffs earlier this calendar year.
After back-to-back Champions League campaigns, København is back in the Conference League. Having made the round of 16 in the tournament’s maiden edition in 2021/22, the Danes came out on top in all three group clashes away from home. With that said, they have never beaten a Spanish outfit in 14 previous attempts (0-5-9).
HJK vs Dinamo Minsk
HJK, recently dethroned in the Veikkausliiga, takes on Dinamo Minsk.
For the third time, HJK is participating in the UECL proper, having never gotten farther than this stage. The Finnish regulars went unbeaten at home in the qualifiers this summers, prevailing in their last two. They have never won versus a team from Belarus, only avoiding defeat once in six previous meetings. This is a big chance for HJK to grab a result.
Dinamo Minsk came out on top when the sides met in the UEFA Cup 40 years ago, winning 10-0 on aggregate. The Vysshaya Liga pacesetters also also got past MyPA in Europa League qualifying a decade ago. Dinamo has never conceded to a Finnish side, and will fancy themselves to keep that stat going.
Mladá Boleslav vs Lugano
Mladá Boleslav gets set to host Lugano in attempts to get back on track following a matchday 1 reverse.
The Czechs, returning to group phase play 17 years on from their last appearance, lost 2-0 at Noah last time out. That result ended a run of five away games unbeaten in Europe for Mladá, who will face Swiss opposition for the first time. Their all-time record in group play sits at 1-3-5, stretching back to their UEFA Cup days.
Lugano defeated Beşiktaş in the UECL group stage last fall, which was their sole away success that term. They have, however, lost three of four outings with Czech opponents in the past, their only victory coming against Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League group stage seven years ago.
Olimpija Ljubljana vs LASK
Olimpija Ljubljana’s first home match in their second season in the Conference League sees them battle LASK.
The Slovenians kept clean sheets in all three of their home qualifiers this summer, scoring 10 times in the process. Last term, they managed to get one home win, coming at the expense of KÍ. It is the first time since 2011/12 that Olimpija will face an Austrian team in Europe. Back then, they fell 4-3 on aggregate to Austria Wien.
LASK is on a run of six away games in continental play without a win. That includes all three of their Europa League group fixtures last fall. With that said, the Austrians did come out on top in each of their previous road ties at this stage of the UECL. That was in the 2021/22 season, where they kept clean sheets in each game.
Paphos vs Heidenheim
The battle of European debutants takes place in Cyprus, as Paphos meets Heidenheim.
Paphos had an interesting summer, playing the second leg at home in each of their UECL ties. On each occasion, the Cypriot Cup winners came out on top, failing to concede in any match. After defeating Petrocub 4-1 last time out, they will fancy their chances to grab a second win of the competition after two games.
German first-timers in Europe, Heidenheim has a perfect record through three ties so far. After knocking off BK Häcken in the playoff round, they also defeat Olimpija Ljubljana on matchday 1. Since that win at home last time out, they have lost both league games. Nevertheless, Frank Schmidt’s side will be the favourites in this one.
The New Saints vs Astana
The New Saints plays their first-ever match in the group phase of a UEFA club competition, with Astana making the trip to Shrewsbury.
TNS kept three clean sheets at home in the qualifiers, albeit at a different venue to where they will be playing in Thursday. The Welsh champions have just two wins in their last 16 continental ties, and have failed to score in five of their last seven. This match will also be the first time a Welsh team meets a Kazakh side in Europe.
Astana won one of their three away games in the Conference League last fall, beating Ballkani 2-1. In qualifying this summer, they went 1-1-1 on the road, losing their most recent tie to Brann in the playoff round. They are looking for what would be just their third away win in the main rounds of a UEFA club competition.
TSC Bačka Topola vs Legia Warszawa
TSC welcomes Legia Warszawa in a game where the latter will fancy themselves to pick up a second win.
The Serbs have just one European win all-time, coming in their maiden game against Petrocub four years ago. Since that 2-0 away victory, it has been 12 without a win. TSC participate in the Europa League group stage, earning a solitary home draw against Olympiakos. They have lost four of six home games in Europe.
Legia has impressed so far in continental play this season, winning six of seven matches. That includes three away successes, where they have outscored opponents 9-2. In the group stage last year, they grabbed a 2-1 result in Bosnia against Zrinjski, losing the other two away clashes. Victory on Thursday night would mark the second time that Legia opened up a group phase with back-to-back wins.