Liam Duckstein
Crystal Palace and Strasbourg Discover Round of 16 Opponents
Competition favorites Crystal Palace have been paired with Cypriot outfit AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League round of 16. The Premier League side secured their spot after overcoming Zrinjski with a 2-0 aggregate victory at Selhurst Park. This result keeps the London club on track for their first major continental trophy.
The draw on Friday afternoon reintroduced the eight top-seeded teams from the League Phase. Strasbourg, led by Gary O’Neil, enters the knockout stage unbeaten. They face Rijeka after the Croatian side eliminated Omonia in the play-off round.
Fiorentina narrowly progressed past Jagiellonia on Thursday and now faces another Polish challenge against Rakow. Spanish representatives Rayo Vallecano are set to meet Turkish side Samsunspor, while Shakhtar prepares for a clash with Lech Poznan.
Confirmed Round of 16 Fixtures
| Home Team (First Leg) | Away Team (First Leg) |
|---|---|
| Lech Poznan | Shakhtar |
| AZ Alkmaar | Sparta Prague |
| Crystal Palace | AEK Larnaca |
| Fiorentina | Rakow |
| Samsunspor | Rayo Vallecano |
| Celje | AEK Athens |
| Sigma Olomouc | Mainz |
| Rijeka | Strasbourg |
UEFA Conference League Draw. Source: www.uefa.com. Edited photo
Lech Poznan vs Shakhtar
AZ Alkmaar vs Sparta Prague
Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca
Fiorentina vs Rakow
Samsunspor vs Rayo Vallecano
Celje vs AEK Athens
Sigma Olomouc vs Mainz
Rijeka vs Strasbourg
Sparta Prague will meet AZ Alkmaar in a high-profile tie. AEK Athens, the third seeds, are scheduled to face Celje following their progression against AZ Alkmaar.
The first-leg matches are scheduled for March 12th, with the return fixtures following on March 19th. The road to the final concludes in Leipzig on May 27th. Follow TipsGG for comprehensive match analysis and updates as the tournament enters its critical knockout phase.