AEK Athens have been one of the top-performing sides in the Conference League this season with three wins from their five matches, a record that gives them a strong chance of qualifying in the top eight - but they’ve got a bit of extra work to do here with the race for the automatic spots being incredibly tight this term.

They welcome a Craiova side that sit 23rd in the league phase and are scrapping for a chance to be in the playoffs for the knockout rounds. They’ve performed admirably at times in the Conference League, but their lack of scoring power will be an issue against a side that has scored more goals than any other side in the Conference League this season (11).

The four goals that the away side have scored in the Conference League this season are the joint lowest of any side in the top 24, suggesting that Craiova may just lack the firepower to progress to the next round here, with three teams ready to take their spot in the playoffs should they fail to get a result here.

AEK enter this clash in fantastic form, having won each of their last five matches across all competitions, which is a record that should give them the confidence to get a fourth win in the Conference League and progress automatically through to the next stage.

Aberdeen are already out of the Conference League, having failed to win a game in the competition and conceding 11 goals across their five matches. Only the bottom two placed sides in Shamrock (12) and Rapid Wien (13) have conceded more goals than Aberdeen in the Conference League this season, and this is likely to be their Achilles heel again here.

Sparta have a strong record in the Conference League with three wins from their five matches in the competition, notably avoiding defeat in both of their home matches - conceding just one goal across these games. Aberdeen are yet to even score on the road in the Conference League, with six goals conceded across their two away trips in the competition.

This could end up being a very comfortable win for Sparta Prague, with Aberdeen not having anything to fight for other than pride, and the Scottish side having a dreadful record on the road in the Europa League this term.

Fiorentina are enduring a disappointing domestic campaign, but have found slightly better form in the Conference League, securing three wins from five matches - more than they have managed in Serie A this season. They sit just a point outside the Serie A top eight, making this European competition the brightest spot in an otherwise difficult year.

Lausanne are positioned lower in the Conference League table, though they have proven resilient with just one loss in five matches. Fiorentina’s two away games in the competition have produced six goals, and their most recent trip ended in a 2-1 defeat to Mainz, with both teams scoring.

Lausanne’s home matches in the Swiss Super League this season have been high-scoring affairs, with 33 goals across nine games - an average of 3.66 per match. With the teams outside the top 24 still capable of overtaking Lausanne if they suffer a heavy loss, the home side are expected to push for a win. Similarly, Fiorentina will be motivated to claim victory to move into the top eight. This sets the stage for an open, end-to-end encounter.

Crystal Palace enter the final matchday of the Conference League's league phase surprisingly outside the top eight. With his squad already strained by the demands of the Premier League and European football, manager Oliver Glasner will be eager to secure a result that avoids extra playoff matches early next year.

They face a KuPS side sitting just a point outside the top 24, whose desperation to qualify should see them contribute actively to the game's goal threat. Palace's Conference League campaign has been high scoring, with 13 goals across their five matches (2.6 per game). In fact, matches involving Glasner's team have seen three or more goals in four of their last five outings in all competitions.

While KuPS have shown resilience, evident in their three draws in the competition, a point is unlikely to suffice here. They will almost certainly require all three to have any chance of displacing a team in the qualification spots, setting the stage for an urgent and potentially open contest.