Previously known as the Europa Conference League, this season sees the fourth edition of the Conference League and, alongside the more prestigious European trophies, this competition has also had a makeover for this year.

There is now a league phase, which will replace the group stage. We’ll highlight some of the favourites and pick our way through a selection of the lesser known teams who could mount a challenge for the trophy.

Roma were the first team to win this competition when they defeated Feyenoord in the 2022 final. A year later, West Ham were the victors, with Fiorentina finishing runners-up. Last season, Olympiacos became the first ever Greek side to win a major European trophy, with Fiorentina once again the losing finalists.

Check all the latest Conference League match odds

Conference League: league stage predictions and tips

We’ve now reached the first edition of the new league stage in the 2024/25 Conference League, with all 36 participating teams now confirmed.

The first round of matches will be played across the 2nd and 3rd October.

With this round of the Conference League now taking the form of a 36-team league, and each team playing six matches, the new format has generated some fascinating ties.

Here are a few of the top games to look out for from the opening round of games…

Two of the teams who will fancy their chances of progressing deep into this tournament get the action under way on the first day, as İstanbul Başakşehir take on Rapid Wien. The Turkish side have already progressed through three qualifying rounds to reach the league stage, scoring 15 times and conceding just once in those matches. Rapid Wien started in the Europa League qualifying rounds and seemed likely to progress to the league stage of that competition, before two goals in three minutes from Sporting Braga saw the Austrian side have to settle for a place in the Conference League.

Neither Cercle Brugge nor St. Gallen have been regular participants in European competitions over the years, although this new format gives both sides a chance to progress to the knockout stages. However, the Swiss side have one of the toughest sets of fixtures in the league stage, with matches against Fiorentina, Heidenheim and Vitória Guimarães to come, so this opening game holds a lot of significance for their hopes of progression.

Tournament favourites Chelsea open their challenge for the trophy with a home match against Belgian side Gent. To emphasize the depth and strength of their squad, the Londoners have left Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana out of their league-phase squad in an attempt to manage their game time, although the squads can be re-submitted at the knockout stage. Gent have competed in the group stage in all three previous Conference League competitions, winning their group once and finishing second on the other two occasions, so there will no room for Chelsea to be complacent.

Heidenheim are the dark horses in this tournament, having never played in European football before and having only competed in the Bundesliga for the first time last season. If they can maintain that form from last season, they could be a force in the knockout rounds. However, the draw was not kind to them, as they arguably drew the strongest team from each of the pots. The German side face Olimpija Ljubljana in their first match, but the Slovenian side will be no pushover. They have been regular European participants over the last 14 years and eased their way through three qualifying rounds this year, with aggregate victories of at least three clear goals in each match.

Fiorentina will hope to go one better this season after being the defeated finalists in the last two Conference League tournaments. They were given a mighty scare by Puskás Academy in the playoff round, only progressing to the league stage via a penalty shootout following two drawn matches. However, an opening match against Welsh minnows, The New Saints, who have never progressed beyond the third qualifying round in any European competition, should ensure the Italians get off to a winning start.

FC København will hope to make inroads in this competition after qualifying from their Champions League group last season, in which they claimed a home win over Manchester United and an away draw with Bayern Munich. The Danish side won all three of their home matches in the qualifying rounds for this season’s Conference League and were unbeaten away from home. Jagiellonia Białystok have already been eliminated from the Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds, in a campaign which included a 7-1 aggregate loss to Ajax, and now find themselves in the Conference League. The current Polish champions won the Ekstraklasa title after finishing outside the top-eight in the three previous seasons.

Conference League fixtures–Matchday 1

Wednesday 2nd October

İstanbul Başakşehir 🆚 Rapid Wien

Vitória Guimarães 🆚 Celje

Thursday 3rd October

Astana 🆚 Bačka Topola

Cercle Brugge 🆚 St. Gallen

Dinamo Minsk 🆚 Hearts

Heidenheim 🆚 Olimpija Ljubljana

Legia Warsaw 🆚 Real Betis

Molde 🆚 Larne

Noah 🆚 Mladá Boleslav

Omonia Nicosia 🆚 Víkingur Reykjavík

Borac Banja Luka 🆚 Panathinaikos

Chelsea 🆚 Gent

Fiorentina 🆚 The New Saints

FC København 🆚 Jagiellonia Białystok

LASK 🆚 Djurgården

Lugano 🆚 HJK

Petrocub 🆚 Pafos

Shamrock Rovers 🆚 APOEL

Who are the favourites to win the Conference League?

Predicting the outcome of the Conference League should, in theory, be simpler than predicting the outcome of the other European competitions, as the gulf between the best and worst teams looks to be greater. With each team playing six matches in the league phase, and 24 of the 36 teams progressing to a knockout round, teams have the opportunity to recover from any shock result.

Chelsea will be on everyone’s shortlist as the Conference League trophy winners. As winners of the Champions League as recently as 2021, they missed out on European football altogether last season after finishing 12^th in the EPL, their worst finish since 1994. Despite bringing in many new players, last season’s sixth place finish only gave them a route into the Conference League. However, with the size and ability of their squad, it’s hard to see the Blues not being a major force in this competition.

Italian side Fiorentina have reached the Conference League final in both of the previous two seasons but have lost on both occasions. A 2-1 defeat to West Ham in 2023 was followed by a 1-0 loss to Olympiacos after extra-time last year. Fiorentina finished eighth in Serie A last season.

Real Betis qualified for the competition with a seventh-place finish in LaLiga last season; however, the Spanish side have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in any European competition. They did top their Europa League group in 2022/23, winning five and drawing one of their six matches, before losing to Manchester United in the round of 16.

Germany’s representatives in this year’s Conference League are Heidenheim, who are making their debut in European competitions. Last season was their first ever in the Bundesliga, where they exceeded expectations by finishing eighth.

What is the new format for the Conference League?

The format for this season’s Conference League is changing, with a single 36-team league stage replacing what used to be the group stage. Each team will play matches against six different teams, three at home and four away.

The 36 teams will be comprised of:

5 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path)
19 winners from the play-off round (Main Path)
12 teams eliminated from the Europa League playoff round

How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Conference League?

The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
The sides finishing in 9^th to 24^th place will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams to qualify for the round of 16.
Those sides finishing in 25^th or lower will be eliminated.

What happens to the winner of Conference League?

This year’s winners will gain a place in the league stage of next season’s Europa League, provided they have not already qualified for the Champions League through their domestic league placing. The winner of the Conference League will receive €5,000,000 in prize money, whilst the runner up receives €3,000,000.

Can teams drop from the Europa League to the Conference League?

In previous season’s, the teams who finished third in the Europa League groups were then transferred to the Conference League. With both competitions now having a league stage, rather than a group stage, that will no longer happen, and the teams finishing in the bottom-eight places in the league phase of the Europa League will be eliminated from all European competitions.

However, the 12 teams eliminated from the Europa League playoff round will move directly into the league phase of the Conference League.

Has the name of the Conference League changed?

For the start of the 2024/25 tournament, the competition has been rebranded as the UEFA Conference League. In previous seasons, it was known as the Europa Conference League.

Conference League match odds

UEFA Conference League schedule (2024/25)

Playoff round

First leg: 20^th– 22^nd August, Second leg: 28^th – 29^th August

League phase

Draw date: 30^th August

Matchday 1: 3^rdOctober

Matchday 2: 24^thOctober

Matchday 3: 7^thNovember

Matchday 4: 28^thNovember

Matchday 5: 12^thDecember

Matchday 6: 19^thDecember

Knockout phase

Draw date: 20^th December

Knockout rounds playoffs: First leg: 13^th February, Second Leg: 20^th February

Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 21^st February

Round of 16: First leg: 6^th March, Second Leg: 13^th March

Quarter-finals: First leg: 10^th April, Second Leg: 17^th April

Semi-finals: First leg: 1^st May, Second Leg: 8^th May

Final: 28th May

Where is the Conference League final 2024/25 being held?

The final will be held on the 28th of May 2025 at the Stadion Wrocław in Wrocław, Poland.

The stadium is the home ground of Śląsk Wrocław; however, any hopes the Polish side had of playing in a final on their home ground were ended when they lost to St. Gallen in the third qualifying round.

The Stadion Wrocław opened in 2011 and has a capacity of just over 45,000. It hosted three matches when Poland co-hosted Euro 2012.

Which teams will compete in the league phase of the Conference League?

The 36 teams who will contest the league stage are:

Chelsea (England)
Fiorentina (Italy)
Real Betis (Spain)
Heidenheim (Germany)
Gent (Belgium)
Cercle Brugge (Belgium)
Vitória Guimarães (Portugal)
FC København (Denmark)
Panathinaikos (Greece)
LASK (Austria)
Rapid Wien (Austria)
İstanbul Başakşehir (Turkey)
Molde (Norway)
Legia Warsaw (Poland)
Jagiellonia Białystok (Poland)
Djurgården (Sweden)
Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic)
Lugano (Switzerland)
St. Gallen (Switzerland)
APOEL (Cyprus)
Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus)
Pafos (Cyprus)
HJK (Finland)
Astana (Kazakhstan)
Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Celje (Slovenia)
Hearts (Scotland)
Bačka Topola (Serbia)
The New Saints (Wales)
Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)
Víkingur Reykjavík (Iceland)
Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Shamrock Rovers (Republic of Ireland)
Larne (Northern Ireland)
Noah (Armenia)
Petrocub (Moldova)

Previous European competition highlights for the teams contesting the league phase

Chelsea (England)

It comes as no surprise that Chelsea are clear favourites for the 2024/25 Conference League given the quality and strength of their squad, as well as the six European titles to their name. Their most recent trophy came as a result of a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2020/21 Champions League final. Prior to that, Chelsea also beat English opposition to take the Europa League title in 2019 by claiming a 4-1 win over Arsenal. However, judging by the playoff round, it won’t all be plain sailing for the Blues. A 2-0 home victory over Servette was followed by a 2-1 defeat in Switzerland, and Chelsea can count themselves slightly fortunate, as their opponents spurned several chances to level the tie.

Fiorentina (Italy)

The Italian side are one of the favourites to win the Conference League this season after being the defeated finalists in both of the last two years (losing to West Ham and Olympiacos respectively). However, they were given a mighty scare by Puskás Academy in the playoff round, as they drew both legs and then scraped through 5-4 via a penalty shootout. Fiorentina reached the final in their first European competition, the 1956/57 European Cup, but were defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid. In total, they have reached six European finals, with their solitary success coming in the 1960/61 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Rangers.

Real Betis (Spain)

Real Betis have had limited success in European competitions. Following a quarter-final appearance in their first tournament, the 1977/78 Cup Winners’ Cup, their best placing has been four round-of-16 finishes. The most recent of these was a 5-1 aggregate loss to Manchester United in the 2022/23 Europa League. They did qualify for last season’s Europa League group stage, but could only finish third and earn a transfer to the Conference League playoff round, where they lost to Dinamo Zagreb. This season’s Conference League playoff was a more straightforward affair, with a 5-0 aggregate win over Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.

Heidenheim (Germany)

Representing Germany, Heidenheim are interesting contenders who are making their first appearance in European football. The 2023/24 season was the first time Heidenheim had ever played in the top-flight of German football, finishing in eighth place in the Bundesliga. However, with Bayer Leverkusen winning the DFB-Pokal, that opened up a European qualifying place for Heidenheim. They defeated the Swedish side BK Häcken 5-3 on aggregate in the playoff round, winning both the home and away legs. The Conference League draw has given them a mouthwatering home tie with Chelsea on Matchday 4.

Gent (Belgium)

Gent needed an injury time equaliser, followed by an extra-time winner, to get past Silkeborg in the third qualifying round of this competition, after which two 1-0 wins over Partizan Belgrade earned then a place in the league phase. The Belgian side have competed in the group stage in all three Conference League competitions, winning their group once and finishing second on the other two occasions. Their best overall finish was in the 2022/23 season, when they lost to West Ham in the quarter-finals.

Cercle Brugge (Belgium)

Cercle Brugge are making only their fourth appearance in a European competition—a sequence spread over a period of 39 years. This season is the only time they have progressed through the qualifying stages, although they initially started in the Europa League qualifiers. In those matches, Cercle Brugge defeated Kilmarnock but were then eliminated by Molde. That sent the Belgian side into the Conference League playoff round, where they featured in a remarkable tie against Polish side Wisła Kraków. They must have thought they had sealed the tie with a 6-1 victory in Poland, only to feel a few nerves as they lost the home leg 4-1.

Vitória Guimarães (Portugal)

Vitória Guimarães have previously qualified four times for the group stage of the UEFA Cup/Europa League, but are yet to qualify beyond that stage. They can boast a quarter-final appearance in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup, back before group stages had been introduced. In their most recent Europa League campaign in 2019/20, Vitória Guimarães did achieve a goalless draw at home to Arsenal and only lost narrowly by a score of 3-2 at the Emirates. They have progressed through three rounds this season without conceding a goal to reach the league stage of the Conference League, with aggregate victories of 5-0 against both Floriana and FC Zürich, and a 7-0 triumph over Zrinjski Mostar.

FC København (Denmark)

Since their formation in 1992, FC København have appeared in every European competition except one. Last season, they qualified from the Champions League group stage for just the second time, in which they claimed a 4-3 home victory over Manchester United, a 0-0 draw at Bayern Munich and a home win and away draw against Galatasaray. In the round of 16, they drew Manchester City and lost both the home and away legs by a score of 3-1. In this season’s Conference League third qualifying round tie, FC København scraped past Baník Ostrava 2-1 via a penalty shootout, after both legs were won 1-0 by the home side.

Panathinaikos (Greece)

Panathinaikos reached the final of the 1970/71 European Cup but were defeated 2-0 by Ajax. They can also boast two semi-final and four quarter-final appearances in European competitions over the years, with the last one coming in the 2002/03 Europa League. Their last three Europa League group appearances have resulted in three bottom-place finishes and just one victory across their 18 matches. In this year’s Europa League qualifying, it was Ajax who once again proved to be their undoing, with Panathinaikos losing an amazing penalty shootout 13-12. They got a second chance in the Conference League, where an excellent 3-2 aggregate win over French side Lens took them into the league stage.

LASK (Austria)

LASK have achieved two round-of-16 finishes in Europe, both of which occurred in the last five years. They lost to 7-1 on aggregate to Manchester United in the 2019/20 Europa League, and then by an overall score of 7-5 to Slavia Prague in the 2021/22 Conference League . They qualified for the Europa League group stage last season, but lost home and away to both Liverpool and Toulouse and failed to qualify for the knockout rounds. In this year’s Europa League playoff, they managed a 1-1 draw away to Steaua București in the first leg, only to lose the return match at home by a score of 1-0 and move to the Conference League.

Rapid Wien (Austria)

Rapid Wien have reached the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup twice, but were unsuccessful on both occasions. They were defeated 3-1 by Everton in 1984/85 and by PSG 1-0 in 1995/96. They have qualified for the Europa League group stage twice in the last four seasons, but finished third in their group on both occasions and were eliminated. Rapid Wien had reached the playoff round in this year’s Europa League with impressive wins over Wisła Kraków and Trabzonspor, only to lose out by an aggregate score of 4-3 to Sporting Braga, thus gaining their place in the league phase of the Conference League.

İstanbul Başakşehir (Turkey)

İstanbul Başakşehir played in their first European tournament in 2015 and have reached the round of 16 on two occasions. They have a particularly good record in the Conference League, with a record of W13, D5, L2 from the 20 matches played so far. That includes this season’s progression to the league stage, where they have scored 15 goals and conceded one in the three qualifying rounds. They also played in the group stage of the 2020/21 Champions League and achieved their best European result by beating Manchester United 2-1 at home. However, with PSG and RB Leipzig completing that group, the Turkish side lost the other five matches.

Molde (Norway)

In 20 seasons of European football, Molde have two round-of-16 finishes to their name. The first came in the 2020/21 Europa League, when they achieved an impressive 5-3 aggregate win over German side Hoffenheim in the round of 32, before losing 3-2 over two legs to Granada. Then, last year, they finished third in their Europa League group and moved into the Conference League, where they were defeated 4-2 by Club Brugge in the round of 16. This season, they moved from the Europa League to the Conference League again, after losing their playoff match against Elfsborg on penalties.

Legia Warsaw (Poland)

Legia Warsaw have been regular European participants over the years, with two semi-final appearances to their name. Those came in the 1969/70 European Cup and the 1990/91 Cup Winners’ Cup. They have reached the group stage several times in recent years, but on the occasions that they have progressed further, it was only as far as the next knockout round. They had a memorable double-header against Borussia Dortmund in the 2016/17 Champions League group stage, losing 6-0 at home and 8-4 away. In qualifying for the league stage of this season’s Conference League, Legia Warsaw’s victories included an 11-0 aggregate win over Caernarfon Town.

Jagiellonia Białystok (Poland)

Jagiellonia Białystok are playing in their sixth European campaign and have never previously progressed beyond the qualifying rounds. Their best performance to date was in the second qualifying round in the 2018/19 Europa League, when they defeated Rio Ave 5-4 on aggregate, with that match-up including a 4-4 draw in Portugal. After losing 5-1 on aggregate to Bodø/Glimt in this season’s Champions League third qualifying round, they then had the misfortune to be drawn against Ajax, one of the strongest teams in the Europa League playoffs. The Polish side were defeated 7-1 on aggregate and they now find themselves competing in the league stage of the Conference League.

Djurgården (Sweden)

Djurgården competed in the European Cup back in 1955/56, where they were defeated by Scottish side Hibernian in the quarter-finals. That was as good as it got for the Swedish side for many years, as their first appearance in a group stage came over 65 years later in the 2022/23 Conference League. It was worth the wait, as they finished top of their group, beating Gent and Molde home and away and taking four points off Shamrock Rovers. However, Lech Poznań proved a hurdle too far, with the Polish side winning 5-0 on aggregate. Djurgården defeated Maribor with two 1-0 victories in the playoff round to reach this stage.

Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic)

Mladá Boleslav did feature in a couple of UEFA Cup groups back in 2006/07 and 2007/08 but didn’t progress from either. Since then, they have failed to progress beyond the third qualifying round in any European competition until this season’s Conference League. On the way to qualifying for the league stage, they eliminated TransINVEST, Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Paksi without losing a match, a run which included victories in all three of the away legs.

Lugano (Switzerland)

Lugano have never progressed beyond the group stage in any European competition. They played in the Conference League group stage last year but lost four of their six matches to finish in last place. They did achieve one notable victory, winning 3-2 away to Turkish side Beşiktaş. By a quirk of fate, they met the same opponents in the playoff round for this season’s Europa League, but Beşiktaş were too strong for their Swiss opponents this time, winning 8-4 on aggregate to send Lugano into the Conference League.

St. Gallen (Switzerland)

Despite being the oldest club in Switzerland at over 140 years old, St. Gallen have rarely featured in European competitions. They have only qualified once for the group stage of any tournament, with that single occasion coming in the Europa League in 2013/14. Although they managed home wins over Swansea City and Kuban Krasnodar, they lost the remaining four matches and finished last in their group. They qualified for the league stage of this season’s Conference League with a penalty shootout win over Turkish side Trabzonspor following home and away draws. However, the computer was not kind to St. Gallen when it allocated their league matches, as they find themselves with a tough draw.

APOEL (Cyprus)

In a standout campaign in 2011/12, APOEL reached the Champions League quarter-finals. The Cypriot side topped their group and then beat French side Lyon on penalties in the round of 16. However, Real Madrid proved an insurmountable obstacle in the next round, as the Spanish side were resounding 8-2 aggregate winners. Since then, APOEL have only qualified from a group stage twice, both in the Europa League, and were unable to progress beyond the round of 16. This season, APOEL lost in the Champions League qualifying round to Slovan Bratislava and then were beaten by Rīgas Futbola Skola, this time on penalties, in the Europa League playoff round. APOEL will now compete in the Conference League.

Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus)

Omonia have been playing in European competitions since 1965, but it was not until the 2020/21 season that they managed to reach the group stage in any competition. However, in the three times that they have reached the group stage of a European competition, they have yet to progress any further. On the last occasion, in the Europa League two seasons ago, Omonia lost all six of their group matches. In qualifying for the league stage of this year’s Conference League, Omonia won five of their six matches, including a 6-0 home win over Zira in the last round.

Pafos (Cyprus)

Pafos complete the trio of Cypriot sides competing in the league stage of the Conference League, which is the highest number of teams from any nation. Created in 2014 from a merger between AEP Paphos and AEK Kouklia, this will be the first season that Pafos will play European football, having originally qualified for the Europa League qualifying round. However, a decisive 8-2 aggregate loss to Elfsborg transferred them to the Conference League qualifying rounds, where Pafos eliminated Žalgiris, CSKA 1948 and CFR Cluj to reach the league stage.

HJK (Finland)

HJK are yet to progress beyond the group stage in any European competition, having finished bottom in their last two group appearances. The most recent of those was in last season’s Conference League, when they drew home and away with Scottish side Aberdeen but lost their other four fixtures. One notable result for the Finnish side was a 13-0 aggregate victory over Bangor City (10-0 at home and 3-0 away) in a 2011/12 Champions League qualifying match. HJK qualified for this season’s league phase of the Conference League via a penalty shootout victory over Dečić and a tight 4-3 aggregate win over KÍ.

Astana (Kazakhstan)

Astana are a relatively new club, having only been formed in 2009. After making their European debut in 2013, Astana competed in the Europa League two season later, and progressed through the three qualifying rounds. However, they came up against Villarreal in the playoff round and were no match for their Spanish opponents, losing 7-0 on aggregate. They exceeded that the following season, after qualifying for the Champions League group stage. However, despite a decent effort of four draws and two defeats, they finished bottom of their group. Last season, they qualified for the Conference League group stage, only to finish third with just one victory.

Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Olimpija Ljubljana made their European debut in the 2010/11 season and have competed every year except two since then. The only time they qualified for a group stage was in the 2023/24 Conference League, although after winning two and losing four of their six group games, they did not reach the knockout rounds. However, they progressed with ease to reach the league stage of the Conference League this season, with aggregate score victories of 4-1 against Polissya Zhytomyr, 4-0 against Sheriff Tiraspol and 6-1 over Rijeka.

Celje (Slovenia)

Celje have never previously reached the group stage of one of the main European competitions. They have reached the league stage of the Conference League this season after failing to qualify through the qualifying rounds in the Champions League (with a 6-1 aggregate loss to Slovan Bratislava) and the Europa League (with a 3-2 aggregate loss to Shamrock Rovers). They then defeated Armenian side Pyunik to reach the league stage. One of their notable European victories was a 4-2 aggregate win over Vitória Guimarães last season, and they have been drawn against the Portuguese side again this year for one of their league phase matches.

Hearts (Scotland)

Hearts, sometimes referred to by their full name ‘Heart of Midlothian’, first played in Europe in the 1958/59 European Cup. However, the first time they progressed to the latter stages of a tournament was in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup, where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. It was another 16 years until they progressed past the qualifying rounds in Europe, before being eliminated in the group stages of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup. Hearts also reached the group stage in the 2022/23 Conference League but, despite beating Rīgas Futbola Skola home and away, the Scottish side lost both legs against Fiorentina and İstanbul Başakşehir.

Bačka Topola (Serbia)

Bačka Topola, also known as TSC, are playing their third season in European football. They competed in the group stage of the Europa League last season but lost five and drew one of their six matches. In that run, they conceded 19 goals. In the first match of their Europa League playoff this season, they were their own worst enemy, with two red cards in the first half contributing to a 3-0 away defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv. However, they fared even worse at home, losing the second leg 5-1. Those defeats extended their current run to 9 losses and a draw from their last 10 European matches.

The New Saints (Wales)

This is the 26^th time The New Saints (TNS) have participated in European competitions. Prior to this season, two ventures into the third qualifying round had been their best achievement. The most recent of those was in 2021/22, when they defeated Viktoria Plzeň 4-2 at home, only to lose 3-1 in the away leg and be eliminated via a penalty shootout. However, despite losing in the Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds and dropping down into the Conference League this season, TNS defeated Panevėžys 3-0 on aggregate to reach the league stage after an excellent 3-0 first-leg victory in Lithuania.

Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)

Dinamo Minsk have appeared in many European tournaments, and can boast three quarter-final appearances in the 1980s. However, the format was very different in those days, and with the expanded tournaments of today, Dinamo Minsk rarely progress beyond the qualifying rounds. They have reached the group stage of the Europa League twice, in 2014/15 and in the following season, but lost 10 of the 12 matches they played. They had a tough draw in the playoff round in this season’s Europa League when facing Anderlecht and, although Dinamo Minsk were defeated, they made the Belgian side work hard for two 1-0 victories.

Víkingur Reykjavík (Iceland)

Víkingur Reykjavík have participated in European competitions sporadically since 1972, although they have had little success to date. Despite the fact that they lost their first 11 matches in European competitions, recent seasons have seen some improvement. This season, Víkingur Reykjavík were eliminated in the Champions League first qualifying round by Shamrock Rovers , but have progressed through three Conference League rounds to reach the league stage. This has mainly been due to their home form, where they have won five and drawn three of their last eight European matches held in Iceland.

Borac Banja Luka (Serbia)

Although they played in the 1975/76 Cup Winners’ Cup, Borac Banja Luka have only been regular European participants for the last five years. Overall, in the nine times they have competed, the Serbian side have never progressed beyond the qualifying rounds. This season, they were eliminated from the Champions League qualifying round after home and away losses to PAOK, and they then lost to Ferencváros on penalties after two draws in the Europa League playoff round. Borac Banja Luka will need to improve away from home if they are to progress from the league stage of the Conference League, having lost nine and drawn two of their previous 11 away European matches.

Shamrock Rovers (Republic of Ireland)

Despite being the first Irish club ever to compete in Europe, back in 1957, their best moment to date was reaching the group stages of the 2011/12 Europa League. However, they went on to lose all six group games on that occasion. This season, they started in the Champions League qualifying rounds but lost 6-2 on aggregate to Sparta Prague. That moved them to the Europa League, but they fared no better there, losing 6-0 on aggregate to PAOK. Now, with a place in the league phase of the Conference League, it’s likely to be third time unlucky for the Irish team.

Larne (Northern Ireland)

Larne made their first European appearance in the 2021/22 season and progressed through the first two Conference League qualifying rounds with aggregate wins over Bala Town and AGF Aarhus, before Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira proved too strong, although the Northern Irish side did secure a memorable 1-0 home victory. A 7-0 aggregate loss in this season’s Champions League qualifiers saw Larne move to the Conference League, where they qualified for the league stage with a 4-3 aggregate win over Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar.

Noah (Armenia)

Noah made their European debut in the 2020/21 Europa League but were eliminated in the first qualifying round. The following year, they qualified for the first edition of the Conference League when, despite winning the home leg 1-0, they lost the away leg 5-0 to Finnish side KuPS. This season, they have progressed through four rounds to reach the league stage, with their most impressive result being a 3-2 aggregate win over AEK Athens. In each of those four rounds, Noah were victorious in the home leg and, if they are to progress to the knockout stages this year, they will need to make the most of their home fixtures.

Petrocub Hîncești (Moldova)

The Moldovan champions reached the playoff round for the Europa League this season, which was the first time they had progressed beyond the qualifying rounds in seven previous European campaigns. Unfortunately, a 4-0 defeat in the first-leg match against Ludogorets Razgrad put an end to their chances of progression, and they followed that with a 2-1 defeat on home soil. They now find themselves in the league stage of the Conference League but, given their UEFA club ranking is currently 221^st, it will be a big ask for them to progress to the knockout round.

Conference League outright betting

Conference League winner odds

The odds below show the prices offered on each of the teams before the start of the league phase.

2.78 Chelsea
5.05 Real Betis
6.05 Fiorentina
17.25 FC København
17.25 Gent
17.25 Heidenheim
17.25 Panathinaikos
26.00 İstanbul Başakşehir
26.00 Rapid Wien
26.00 Vitória Guimarães
34.00 Cercle Brugge
34.00 LASK
34.00 Lugano
34.00 Molde
41.00 Legia Warszawa
53.00 Hearts
69.00 Jagiellonia Białystok
83.00 St. Gallen
106.00 APOEL
106.00 Astana
106.00 HJK
106.00 Mladá Boleslav
106.00 Omonia Nicosia
106.00 Pafos
165.00 Djurgården
165.00 Olimpija Ljubljana
226.00 Backa Topola
226.00 Celje
301.00 Borac Banja Luka
301.00 Dinamo Minsk
301.00 Larne
551.00 Noah
551.00 Petrocub
551.00 Shamrock Rovers
551.00 The New Saints
551.00 Víkingur Reykjavík

Previous Conference League finals

2023/24: Olympiacos 1-0 Fiorentina(after extra-time)

2022/23: West Ham 2-1 Fiorentina

2021/22: Roma 1-0 Feyenoord

All odds are correct at the time of writing but are subject to fluctuation afterwards.

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