Conference League Matchday 1 Preview

After eight weeks of qualifying round action during the summer, the UEFA Conference League is back. Thirty-six teams open their league phase campaign on Thursday bring more memorable moments in the competition's sixth season.

Of the three dozen sides, 22 of them are playing in the UECL group phase for the first time, with just five of them having two or more previous appearances at this stage. Ahead of the first matchday, here is a preview of what will take place.

Inter Commence Historic Occasion

One of the 10 early kickoffs will see Lugano take on Crvena zvezda. Having fallen in the qualifiers last term, the Swiss side return for a third showing in the UECL proper. They reached the round of 16 in 2024/25 before falling on penalties to Celje. They will have a tricky opening game this time around, with Red Star among the former European Cup winners. Serbia's record champions gave away a three-goal lead in the Europa League playoff round to enter the UECL, becoming their country's fourth different representative at this point.

The clash between Hajduk Split and Ajax is one of just three games in this round that have occurred in Europe before. Hajduk, back in a group phase 16 years on from their last foray, are 1-1-2 against their Dutch opponents. With that said, they have never conceded at home in the head-to-head, something they will aim to continue on Thursday. When considering qualifiers, Ajax will play their 11th Conference League match. The four-time European Cup victors reached the round of 16 in 2023/24 after finishing third in their Europa League group.

Belgian side Gent, making their UECL-leading fifth group phase showing, play at home to AGF Aarhus. De Buffalo's successfully negotiated the qualifying stage for the fourth time, with only Fiorentina and AZ having played more games in the competition than them. They face an AGF club making their maiden group stage/league phase showing. Surprise Danish Superliga winners in 2024/25, De Hvii'e got knocked out of the UECL at the second qualifying round to a Belgian team two years ago against Club Brugge, though their home victory remains their only result in four outings against a side from the Jupiler Pro League (1-0-3).

Egnatia will begin their first-ever group phase showing versus FC Midtjylland. Playing European football for the fourth year running, the Albanian outfit are 5-3-2 at home so far. This will be their first test against a team from Denmark. For Midtjylland, they prevailed in all four of the UECL qualifying games in the summer. The side from Herning impressed on the road in the UEL last term, winning three of five in the competition proper. While this is their maiden Conference League group phase foray, they did play in the knockout round playoffs in 2021/22, losing to PAOK.

Back for a second crack at the competition proper, KuPS Kuopio are at home to Trabzonspor to kick things off. The Finnish side will have reason to come in with confidence, having won their other home game versus Turkish opposition. That came in UEL qualifying 14 years ago as they edged Bursaspor 1-0. Despite their relative regularity in Europe, Trabzonspor have not gotten to the last 16 of the UEFA club competition since 1995/96. Their away form is horrendous, winning just once in their last 14.

https://breakingthelines.com/@uefa_coefficient_expert/conference-league-playoff-round-preview

Swedish side Mjällby make their European group phase debut against the summer's biggest story in Inter Club d'Escaldes. Having prevailed in the Champions League second qualifying round, last year's Allsvenskan champions have lost their four subsequent games. They will look to change that at home to Inter, who are Andorra's first-ever representatives at this point in Europe. In contrast, they are on a five-game unbeaten run in continental play (2-3-0). They have found the back of the net in their last nine on the road.

Just as they did two years ago, Greek giants Panathinaikos take on Bosnia's Borac Banja Luka. This time, Prássinoi are at home. The sides also met on matchday 1 on that occasion, with the match ending 1-1 in Banja Luka. Pana have only one defeat at home in the UECL from 10 matches, qualifiers included. Borac, who made the round of 16 in the 2024/25 campaign, are winless versus Greek opponents in three previous attempts (0-1-2), with PAOK beating them home and away that same campaign.

CSKA-Sofia play hosts to AS Monaco looking to maintain their winning record over the Ligue 1 side. Their only other group stage meeting, which came in the UEFA Cup 21 years ago, went the way of Les Monegasques, with CSKA finishing bottom of their group in all four appearances since - those all came in the Europa League. Monaco's last three continental campaigns ended in them falling at the knockout playoffs. They have lost all three of their trips to Sofia all-time.

Finally negotiating the qualifying rounds at the ninth time of asking, Riga FC commence their maiden group stage appearance at home to Kairat Almaty. The Latvian side have won their last seven home games in the competition, including all three of this summer's games. This is their first crack at a team from Kazakhstan. The contrast could not be any more stark, with Kairat - Champions League entrants a year ago - winning just once in their last 16 away games in continental play.

CS Universitatea Craiova will look to add more success against Spanish opposition as Getafe make the trip to Romania. CSU knocked out Real Betis in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup on penalties after both sides won 1-0 at home. Following their heartbreak at the conclusion of last fall's league phase, they are out to start on a stronger footing this time around. Getafe last played in Europe back in 2019/20, reaching the UEL round of 16. This is their first season playing in a UEFA club competition outside of the UEFA Cup/Europa League.

Match of the Round: FC København vs Sporting Braga

The match of the round to begin the UEFA Conference League is between FC København and Sporting Braga.

FCK are embarking on their third UECL group phase, more than any other Danish side. Both of their previous appearances saw them fall at the last 16, owning a 7-2-3 record in the opening phase. They have never won against a Portuguese side in six attempts (0-3-3). København will want to improve on their performances at home, as they lost three of their five at the Danish capital last time out, including in the opening matchday.

Braga, semifinalists in the Europa League last term, are participating in the UECL group stage/league phase for the first time. They did make the knockout round playoffs four years ago after dropping out of the UEL. It is the first time in 2012/13 that the club are not partaking in any part of the UEL during a European campaign. They can count of a good record versus Danish teams, winning three of four.

Atalanta, Freiburg Headline Late Games

Among the other late matches, Atalanta take on Pafos in their opener. La Dea are the fourth different Italian team to play at any stage of the Conference League, and will look to join Roma and Fiorentina in reaching the final. Europa League champions in 2023/24, the Bergamaschi kept two clean sheets in their playoff round win in August. For Pafos, this is their second showing in the UECL proper, having made the round of 16 last time out. With that said, they did lose both of their games versus Serie A teams, including a defeat to the aforementioned Fiorentina two years ago.

A first-time meeting will occur in England between Brighton and Kauno Žalgiris in one of the most lopsided games of the league phase. The Seagulls are back in Europe after qualifying for the UEL three years ago. They are among the favourites this season, especially given England's success in the UECL. As for their opponents, Kauno became Lithuania's second different team to make the main rounds of the competition. Half of their European wins all-time came in Conference League qualifiers, with the other in the UCL/UEL this summer.

Making it past the UECL qualifiers for the first time, Twente take on Swiss champions Thun to begin their league phase. The Dutch side, former UEFA Cup finalists, played a two-legged tie versus Grasshoppers in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup, losing 5-3 on aggregate. This is their seventh group phase in Europe. As for Thun, they, like Twente, have now played in the main rounds of all three UEFA club competitions, with this appearance being their first since playing in the 2013/14 UEL. They were paired with Ajax in the UCL group stage 21 years ago, losing both matches.

Scotland's Hearts are at home to FC Nordsjælland to kick things off. The Jam Tarts traversed a tricky playoff round tie against Rapid Wien to make it this far. They were unable to negotiate the group phase in either of their two previous attempts though, as they currently own a 4-1-7 record at this stage. Nordsjælland won all three of their away games during the qualifying rounds to return to the this point. FCN won both legs of their UEFA Cup clash with Queen of the South in 2008/09.

Sint-Truiden host Iberia 1999 as one of six matches in this matchday between two debutants. Following a third place finish in Belgium last term, STVV guaranteed themselves group phase football for the first time. They are the sixth different Belgian team to play in this round, a number only bettered by Czechia's seven. Iberia ended a 22-year wait for Georgia to be represented in group phase play. The pressure will be on the Red Eagles to earn at least one result in this fall in order to bring their nation into the top 50 of the UEFA coefficient ranking.

Last season's Europa League finalists Freiburg tackle Jablonec in their Conference League opener. The Bundesliga club are playing in a UEFA club competition not called the UEFA Cup/UEL for the first time, and will hope to build on last term's historic showing. They face a Jablonec club that have yet to progress from a European group phase in two previous attempts. Both of their wins at this stage were 1-0 results, with only one of their five losses being by multiple goals.

https://breakingthelines.com/@uefa_coefficient_expert/uefa-coefficient-roundup-qualifying-week-8

SK Brann open their UECL league phase with a home match versus Lincoln Red Imps. The Norwegians finished 24th in the Europa League last term, which was enough to play knockout round football for the second time. This will be their first matchup with a side from Gibraltar. Lincoln finished just outside of the knockout places in the UECL a year ago, losing all three of their away matches. They did prevail in their last road game against Larne in the playoff round, which gave them a third crack at this stage of the tournament.