Mainz welcome Fiorentina in the highest-profile game of UEFA Conference League Matchday 3, while some less-heralded sides are looking to complete a hat-trick of league phase wins.
Play Predict Six!
All kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated
Thursday 6 November
Shakhtar vs Breiðablik (18:45)
Sparta Praha vs Raków (18:45)
Mainz vs Fiorentina (18:45)
Celje vs Legia Warszawa (18:45)
KuPS Kuopio vs Slovan Bratislava (18:45)
AEK Athens vs Shamrock Rovers (18:45)
Samsunspor vs Hamrun Spartans (18:45)
AEK Larnaca vs Aberdeen (18:45)
Noah vs Sigma Olomouc (18:45)
SK Rapid vs Universitatea Craiova
Dynamo Kyiv vs Zrinjski
Crystal Palace vs AZ Alkmaar
Rayo Vallecano vs Lech Poznań
Lincoln Red Imps vs Rijeka
Shkëndija vs Jagiellonia
Häcken vs Strasbourg
Lausanne-Sport vs Omonoia
Shelbourne vs Drita
Latest standings
Mainz up for Fiorentina clash
Mainz’s domestic form has been inconsistent, but the team that finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season have done enough to take six points from their opening two league phase games. “These evenings are magical,” said coach Bo Henriksen, while Nelson Weiper – their match winner against Zrinjski on Matchday 2 – said that “playing European football at home with our fans” was bringing the best out of his team-mates.
They will have to raise their level a little bit more as the Carnival Club welcome Italian opponents for the first time. Fiorentina are also on six points after two games, and having become the Conference League’s oldest scorer on Matchday 2, aged 39 years and 220 days, Edin Džeko underlined that European success is a priority for the Viola. “This competition is a big target for us this season,” said the Bosnian. “We want to finish in the top eight.”
Magic number in sight
Eight points sufficed to guarantee a play-off place for sides in last season’s league phase, and as they approach Matchday 3, a number of unexpected clubs have taken full marks so far, not least AEK Larnaca who won 1-0 at Crystal Palace. “We have confidence to play against everyone,” said match winner Riad Bajić after that Matchday 2 triumph. Coach Imanol Idiakez looked ahead to Matchday 3 and noted: “Aberdeen are going to be tough opponents, but now we have six points and we are more optimistic.”
In their first European campaign since 1998, Samsunspor have recorded back-to-back wins, so will be chasing a third as Malta’s Hamrun Spartans come to Türkiye. Switzerland’s Lausanne-Sport eliminated Beşiktaş in qualifying and have won their opening two fixtures in the league phase without conceding. Beat Omonoia at home and they will be a big step closer to a first springtime European encounter since they met West Ham in the 1964/65 European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finals.
Can Kovačević keep scoring?
The only other team on six points so far are Celje, who will hope that Franko Kovačević can add to his already awesome 2025/26 tally as the Slovenian champions welcome Legia Warszawa. After scoring a Matchday 1 treble, the Croatian hit two more at Shamrock Rovers last time out to take his league phase tally to five, and his overall total to 22 in all competitions this season.
“As a player, you live for matches, and when you have a winning streak, you want it to last and last,” Kovačević told the club’s website recently. However, Albert Riera’s men will need more than momentum in their favour as they host a Legia side who beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 on 23 October thanks to two excellent finishes from Rafał Augustyniak. “We showed that we have the guts to fight and win,” said the defensive midfielder.
Lowdown: 2025/26 Conference League basics
