Europa Conference League Live: Shocking Upsets, Stream Info & Key Stats You Can’t Miss

Europe’s third-tier club competition produced a night of high drama as the UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 wrapped up on Thursday, 12 March. Eight sides booked their place in Friday’s quarter-final draw in Nyon after a goal-laden second-leg programme that served up late equalisers, extra-time tension and a statement away win. Crystal Palace reach first European quarter-final Roy Hodgson’s Eagles are into uncharted territory. A disciplined 0-0 draw in Larnaca was enough to see off AEK Larnaca 1-0 on aggregate after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-leg strike at Selhurst Park. The Londoners have now kept five clean sheets in six Conference League outings and remain unbeaten in the competition. AEK Athens coast past Celje The Greek champions overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit in emphatic style, dismantling Celje 4-0 in Slovenia. Levi García struck twice before half-time, while Domagoj Vida and Ezequiel Ponce added gloss to a 5-3 aggregate success that extends Matías Almeyda’s unbeaten European run to nine matches. Fiorentina survive Raków scare Last season’s runners-up needed extra-time to edge Polish surprise package Raków Częstochowa. Nicolás González’s 89th-minute header levelled the tie 2-2 on aggregate before substitute Christian Kouamé rifled home the decisive goal in the 112th minute. Vincenzo Italiano’s men remain on course for back-to-back finals. Mainz grind past Sigma Olomouc Bo Henriksen’s workmanlike Mainz side relied on set-pieces once again, Stefan Bell nodding in a corner to seal a 1-0 victory and identical aggregate score-line. The Bundesliga outfit have conceded just twice in the competition. AZ too strong for Sparta Prague Goals from Jesper Karlsson and Dani de Wit earned AZ Alkmaar a 2-1 second-leg win and 3-1 overall triumph. Pascal Jansen’s young team have now scored 21 Conference League goals this season, the most of any quarter-finalist. Shakhtar silence Poznań A brace from rising star Mykhailo Rudyk inspired Shakhtar Donetsk to a 3-1 away win at Lech Poznań, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory. The Ukrainian club return to the last eight of a UEFA competition for the first time since 2011. Strasbourg’s late show in Rijeka Kevin Gameiro rolled back the years, converting a 92nd-minute penalty that broke a 1-1 deadlock and propelled Strasbourg to a 3-1 aggregate success over HNK Rijeka. Patrick Vieira’s side remain France’s sole European representatives. Rayo Vallecano upset Samsunspor Iñigo Pérez’s adventurous Rayo outfit followed up November’s 3-2 home win with a 3-1 triumph in Turkey, Álvaro García bagging a double in a 6-3 aggregate shoot-out that showcased the Madrid club’s counter-attacking potency. Quarter-final seedings and key dates • Draw: Friday 13 March, 13:00 CET, UEFA headquarters, Nyon • Quarter-final first legs: 2 April • Quarter-final second legs: 9 April • Semi-final draw made immediately after Friday’s ceremony • Final: 27 May, Volksparkstadion, Hamburg Teams in the pot: Crystal Palace (ENG), AEK Athens (GRE), Fiorentina (ITA), Mainz 05 (GER), AZ Alkmaar (NED), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Strasbourg (FRA), Rayo Vallecano (ESP). Why this matters With no Champions League regulars left in the field, the Conference League is wide open. Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano are bidding for a first major trophy in their histories, while Fiorentina and Shakhtar are chasing redemption after recent European heartbreak. The competition’s UEFA coefficient points also carry weight: England, Spain and France can bolster their quotas for future European campaigns, whereas Greece and Ukraine eye a priceless ranking boost. Search interest in “Europa Conference League fixtures”, “Conference League quarter-final draw” and individual club queries spiked during Thursday evening’s games; expect another surge on draw day as fans map out potential routes to Hamburg.