2:2 against the Finns

LIVE: Crystal Palace now outnumbered in the final

Crystal Palace and Kuopion PS drew 2-2.(Bild: EPA/Andy Rain)

Crystal Palace have been handed a somewhat surprising extra round in the Football Conference League. Coach Oliver Glasner's side were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Kuopion PS in the final round of the league phase on Thursday, leaving them in tenth place after six matchdays. Only the top eight will advance to the round of 16, with the next 16 having to go through to the play-offs. FSV Mainz 05 are through to the round of 16 after a 2-0 win over Samsunspor.

Palace, who rested a number of regular players, took the lead through Chrisantos Uche with a spectacular strike from outside the box (5th minute). The Tyrolean Johannes Kreidl in goal for the Finnish pre-season champions had no chance. In the second half, however, the underdogs surprisingly turned the game around within three minutes: Piotr Parzyszek (50th) and Ibrahim Cisse (53rd) put the visitors 2:1 in front. From the 73rd minute, however, the Finns were down to ten men after Clinton Antwi was shown a straight red for a foul on Will Hughes. The English side immediately took advantage of their numerical superiority with a goal from Justin Devenny (76'), but the victory was no longer possible against the defending underdogs.

Mainz in the round of 16
In Mainz, Silvan Widmer (44) and Nadiem Amiri from the penalty spot (48) sent FSV, who were without the injured Phillipp Mwene and the suspended Nikolas Veratschnig, to seventh place in the table and into the round of 16.

Racing Strasbourg finished the league phase in first place with 16 points. In addition to the French side and Mainz, Rakow Czestochowa (14), AEK Athens, Sparta Prague, Shakhtar Donetsk, Rayo Vallecano (13 each) and AEK Larnaca (12) also made it into the top eight.