Conference League: Matchday 3 preview – Panathinaikos aiming for 3/3
The League Phase of the Conference League continues on Thursday (05/11) with the third matchday.
The League Phase of the Conference League continues on Thursday (05/11) with the third matchday. Unlike the Europa League, the third-tier competition is still halfway through its first phase, as each team plays a total of six games.
Greek interest is focused on Panathinaikos, who host CSKA Sofia at OAKA and want to maintain their perfect record, taking another significant step towards direct qualification for the last 16.
Panathinaikos – CSKA Sofia: To stay at the top
Panathinaikos has started its journey in the League Phase ideally. In the opener, they defeated Borac Banja Luka 2-1 at OAKA, and then impressively won 5-1 against Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan.
With six points and a 7-2 goal difference, the "Greens" are in first place in the standings, ahead on goal difference from the other seven teams that have also achieved "two out of two."
Jacob Nystrup's team hosts CSKA Sofia on Thursday (05/11, 22:00) at OAKA, with excellent morale from their domestic commitments. They come from a clear 2-0 victory in the derby against AEK, which brought them to six consecutive successes in all competitions.
CSKA has collected one point in the first two matchdays. They lost 2-1 to Monaco in the opener and then drew 2-2 at Nordsjælland. They are in 23rd place and are looking for their first win in the competition.
The only significant absence for Panathinaikos is the injured Azzedine Ounahi. At the same time, the presence of Cyriel Dessers is of particular interest, as he is the top scorer in Conference League history with 13 goals.
Standout matches
Trabzonspor – Freiburg is one of the most important games of the matchday. The Turkish team has achieved a perfect record, while the Germans are called to react after a heavy 3-0 defeat to Monaco.
In Denmark, Midtjylland hosts Ajax, who are coming off a win against Atalanta and want to continue their run. Monaco hosts undefeated Nordsjælland, while Brighton is tested at Getafe.
St. Truiden – Brann also presents great interest in terms of points, as both teams have two wins. Furthermore, Lugano hosts Kauno Žalgiris, Twente faces Pafos, and Hajduk Split is hosted by Lincoln Red Imps.
Conference League Schedule – Matchday 3
Thursday, November 5 – 19:45
- Aarhus – Braga
- Atalanta – Kairat Almaty
- Midtjylland – Ajax
- Thun – Hearts
- Red Star – Inter Club d'Escaldes
- Kuopio – Gent
- Lincoln Red Imps – Hajduk Split
- Mjällby – Borac Banja Luka
- Trabzonspor – Freiburg
Thursday, November 5 – 22:00
- Monaco – Nordsjælland
- Copenhagen – Iberia 1999 Tbilisi
- Lugano – Kauno Žalgiris
- Twente – Pafos
- Getafe – Brighton
- St. Truiden – Brann
- Panathinaikos – CSKA Sofia
- Riga – Jablonec
- Universitatea Craiova – Egnatia
The full schedule and match times have been confirmed by UEFA.
The battle for the top eight
Panathinaikos, Lugano, Brann, Trabzonspor, Twente, Monaco, St. Truiden, and Hajduk have started with two wins and occupy the top eight positions. Brighton, Copenhagen, Universitatea Craiova, and Mjällby follow with four points.
Teams finishing in positions 1-8 qualify directly for the last 16, while those in positions 9-24 will play in the knockout playoffs. Teams from 25th place onwards are eliminated from the competition.
Panathinaikos therefore has the opportunity, with a third consecutive victory, to consolidate its position in the top eight and gain a significant advantage before the more difficult matches that follow against Nordsjælland, Freiburg, and Brighton.