Preview: Crystal Palace vs KuPS - prediction, team news, lineups

Crystal Palace will be aiming to secure their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League when they welcome Finnish outfit KuPS to Selhurst Park for their final League Phase fixture on Thursday night.

The Eagles remain in contention to secure a top-eight finish in the 36-team table, while the Yellow-Black can ill-afford to drop points if they wish to seal a playoff spot.

Match preview

A total of 14 teams will battle it out for the final 11 places in the Conference League knockout rounds and Crystal Palace are one of those still in contention to qualify, with Oliver Glasner’s side seeking to avoid an early elimination in their debut European campaign.

The Eagles have alternated between victory and defeat in their five League Phase fixtures (W3 D2), with a comfortable and important 3-0 away win over Irish side Shelbourne last week boosting their last-16 qualification hopes, having previously lost 2-1 to table-toppers Strasbourg.

Still listed as the bookmakers’ favourites to win the Conference League and become the third English club to win the competition after fellow London sides West Ham United (2023) and Chelsea (2025), Crystal Palace sit ninth in the 36-team table and just one point outside the top eight.

A draw on Thursday will be enough for the Eagles to secure at least a place in the knockout playoff round, but claiming maximum points is what Glasner and co will be aiming for, as they are keen to advance automatically to the last 16 and avoid playing another two games in an already congested fixture schedule.

Palace’s home form has dipped ahead of their clash with KuPS, as they have gone three matches at Selhurst Park without a win (D1 L2) and have failed to find the net in two of those games, including last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City in the Premier League.

Competing in European competition for the first time this century, KuPS are one of three of the 14 teams in contention to advance to the knockout rounds who currently sit outside the playoff positions after accumulating six points from five League Phase games (W1 D3 L1).

The Yellow-Black picked up their first five points in their opening three matches, but they have since failed to score across two winless games against Jagiellonia Bialystok (1-0) and Lausanne (0-0), with their qualification hopes now out of their own hands heading into matchday six.

Jarkko Wiss’s side currently sit 25th in the 36-team table, just one point behind the playoff positions. KuPS know that they will be eliminated if they suffer defeat at Selhurst Park, while a draw could be enough to sneak into the top 24, but that will depend on a number of other results going their way.

KuPS have been focused solely on the Conference League since concluding their title-winning Veikkausliiga campaign at the beginning of November, securing their eight Finnish top-flight trophy and third in six years after finishing six points clear of their nearest challengers Inter Turku.

A tricky trip to Crystal Palace on Thursday could prove to be their last in Europe this season unless they rectify their form in front of goal, as they have failed to make the net ripple in seven of their last eight European away games (W1 D3 L4).

Crystal Palace Conference League form:

Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

KuPS Conference League form:

KuPS form (all competitions):

Team News

Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada was forced off with a hamstring injury in the defeat to Man City last weekend and Glasner stated after the match that the midfielder is set to be missing for “a little bit longer”.

Key wing-back Daniel Munoz is also sidelined after recently undergoing a minor knee operation, while Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad (both knee), Rio Cardines (groin) and Caleb Kporha (back) all remain unavailable for selection.

Some changes are expected from Glasner, but a number of key players are likely to continue in the starting lineup, including centre-back trio Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards, midfielder Adam Wharton and attacker Yeremy Pino.

Glasner must decide whether to stick with out-of-sorts striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has scored just one goal across his last six appearances, or reward Eddie Nketiah with a place up front after finding the back of the net in his last two starts.

As for KuPS, Wiss is set to name is strongest possible starting lineup, with goalkeeper Johannes Kreidl to be protected by central defensive pair Ibrahim Cisse and Samuli Miettinen.

Taneli Hamalainen will be hoping to force his way back into the first XI at right-back at the expense of Bob Nii Armah, while Jaakko Oksanen has scored a team-high three goals in the Conference League tis term and is expected to begin in centre-midfield.

Piotr Parzyszek will likely get the nod to lead the line ahead of Agon Sadiku, who scored 14 goals in the 2025 domestic campaign, while Mohamed Toure and either Otto Ruoppi or captain Petteri Pennanen could start out wide.

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Sosa; Sarr, Pino; Nketiah

KuPS possible starting lineup:

Kreidl; Hamalainen, Cisse, Hamalainen, Antwi; Voutilainen, Arifi, Oksanen; Toure, Parzyszek, Pennanen

We say: Crystal Palace 2-0 KuPS

Both teams have something to play for on Thursday, yet it is hard to look beyond Crystal Palace claiming maximum points on home soil. KuPS will back themselves to be competitive at Selhurst Park, but the superior quality throughout Glasner’s squad should see the Eagles soar to victory.

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