On October 23, 2025, the UEFA Europa Conference League returns with another thrilling evening of league phase action, as teams continue their pursuit of valuable points in Europe’s newest and most unpredictable competition.
The action kicks off at 18:45 with two intriguing encounters. Hacken host Rayo Vallecano in Gothenburg, where the Swedish side will look to make the most of home advantage against a talented Spanish opponent. At the same time, Rijeka welcome Sparta Prague to Croatia in what promises to be a tense and energetic contest between two teams aiming to stay in contention for qualification.
Later, at 21:00, the spotlight shifts to several key fixtures across the continent. Samsunspor face Dynamo Kyiv in Türkiye in a battle that could shape the standings in their group, while AZ Alkmaar meet Slovan Bratislava in the Netherlands in a duel of two technically gifted teams. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace take on AEK Larnaca in London, where the English club will be eager to secure a statement win on home soil.
As the league phase nears its halfway point, every match and every goal becomes crucial. October 23 is set to deliver another night of intensity, surprises, and European football at its finest.
Table of Contents
:
:
vs 
Hacken vs Rayo Vallecano
Hacken opened the group stage with a goalless draw of 0:0 against Shelbourne away from home. They played solidly in defense, but their attack was limited. The team has a good organization, but they lack creativity in the final third. The Swedish champions usually rely on high balls and physical battles, which can be ineffective against technically stronger opponents.
In the league, even though they haven’t lost in their last 3 matches, they are playing inconsistently and are currently in the bottom position, making it very likely that they will miss out on a spot in European competitions next season.
Rayo Vallecano achieved an easy victory against the Macedonian team Shkendija at home with a score of 2:0 and played really well on the field. Lopez and Perez scored the goals in the first half, basically deciding the match early on. The Spanish team plays fast, modern football with high wingers and quick passes into space.
The team is led by Inigo Perez and has some great individual players. In La Liga, they have won their last two matches, but before that, they had a rough patch and are currently in 11th place. Since the season has just started, they have time to improve their performance.
Rayo Vallecano will try to control the midfield, while Hacken, despite being in poor form, will attempt to secure points at home through counterattacks. Rayo has a better balance between offense and defense and is technically superior.
2 (Rayo Vallecano to Win)
Predicted CS: 0:2
:
:
vs 
Rijeka vs Sparta Prague
Rijeka started their campaign with a narrow loss of 1:0 against the Armenian team Noah. The team played solid defense, but they hardly created any chances during the match. The attack seems static, and the creativity in the midfield is limited. Coach Victor Sanchez announced changes in the formation to add more depth to the attack.
At home, Rijeka usually plays with high intensity, but against such an opponent, they will need to give their all to secure a win. Their poor form this season is clear, as shown by their league performance, where they are currently in 7th place with only two wins in 10 matches played.
Sparta Prague was one of the most impressive teams in the first round. They achieved a strong victory of 4:1 against Shamrock Rovers. They showed a variety of attacks and confidence on the field. The team is led by Brian Priske, and in the attack, they have Haraslin, who scored a goal in the previous match, along with Sorensen, Suchomel, and Sadilek also getting on the scoresheet.
This shows a team that can attack from all angles, with great movement and excellent connections between the lines. They are in first place in the league, and their main title rival, Slavia Prague, is just one point behind them.
Sparta is a stronger team and will try to dominate the game right from the start of the match. Rijeka will try to slow down the pace, but without enough speed and physical strength, it will be hard for them to resist.
2 (Sparta Prague to Win)
Predicted CS: 1:3
:
:
vs 
AZ Alkmaar vs Slovan Bratislava
AZ Alkmaar entered the group stage with a loss, completely outplayed by AEK Larnaca away with a score of 4:0. They faced serious issues in the midfield, and their defense was chaotic, while the attack was completely cut off. The team is led by Maarten Martens, who needs to fix the mistakes from the first home match. It is very likely that he will make some rotations, especially in defense, while key players in attack like Parrott and Sadiq are expected to do much more.
The crowd at the ‘AFAS Stadion’ is looking for a response, and the pressure will be huge. In the league, they managed to secure two wins, and over the weekend, they played excellently, defeating Ajax away with a score of 0:2.
Slovan Bratislava, even though they lost to Strasbourg at home with a score of 1:2, showed a fighting spirit and good organization. They dominated possession and created many chances but couldn’t score. Ibrahim scored a goal in the 64th minute, and Savvidis and Barseghyan were excellent on the field.
The Slovaks play direct football with lots of crosses and physical battles in the midfield. They can be dangerous from set pieces, especially with their tall defenders who often join the attack. In the league, they are in 2nd place, just one point behind Zilina, and they haven’t lost in 9 matches this season, winning 6 of them.
AZ Alkmaar is the favorite and will enter the match fully focused to secure a win, but Slovan is dangerous on counterattacks and from set pieces and will take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes.
GG (BTTS-Yes)
Predicted CS: 2:1
:
:
vs 
Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca
Crystal Palace made a strong impression in the first round with a convincing performance in Kyiv. The 0:2 victory was the result of a controlled and disciplined game. Munoz and Nketiah scored the goals, while Wharton and Pino showed creativity and maturity in the attack. Oliver Glasner’s team plays with discipline, pressing at the right moments and maintaining a solid defense. The English team has an advantage with greater individual quality and speed.
At home, they play at a fast pace, and the crowd adds extra pressure on their opponents. In the Premier League, they are currently in a tough spot, having not won in the last two matches, and this weekend they drew with Bournemouth.
AEK Larnaca is in amazing form after their 4–0 victory over AZ Alkmaar. The team looks really strong offensively, with four players scoring: Bajic, Rohden, Ivanovic, and Rubio. This variety in scoring is super important and shows that AEK doesn’t rely on just one player, they have a team attack that can break through any defense. The team is led by Imanol Idiakez, and I expect a lot from them in this competition. In the top Cypriot league, they are a bit inconsistent and currently sit in 5th place.
Crystal Palace is definitely the favorite at home, as they have better quality and play in a stronger league. AEK Larnaca has enough confidence to face today’s opponent.
1 & 3+ (Crystal Palace to Win & Over2.5)
Predicted CS: 2:1
:
:
vs 
Samsunspor vs Dynamo Kyiv
Samsunspor kicked off their Conference League journey with a lot of confidence. The 0–1 victory against Legia away from home showed how mature the Turkish team is, as they played in a disciplined, compact, and effective manner. Even though they didn’t create many chances, Musaba scored the winning goal in the 10th minute, and Marius led the transition from the midfield. With only 37% possession of the ball, they managed to defend well and not concede a goal until the end of the match.
The home crowd will be a crucial factor, as the team usually plays with high pressing in the first 20 minutes at home. In the league, they are in 6th place with just one loss after playing 9 matches.
On the other side, Dyn. Kyiv is struggling with their form and is feeling the pressure after losing 0:2 to Crystal Palace in the first round. The team doesn’t have a goal scorer in good form, and they didn’t create any serious chances in the first match. The Ukrainians will try to control the pace with Tymchyk and Shaparenko, but the issue is their lack of speed and slow transitions. In attack, they rely on Guerrero and Yarmolenko. They are currently in 3rd place in the league, but they haven’t won in 5 matches across all competitions, with 4 of those ending in draws.
We expect Samsunspor to take advantage of playing at home and look for an early lead, while Dinamo will play from the back, hoping for counterattacks.
1 (Samsunspor to Win)
Predicted CS: 1:0
Published:
:
:
Kindly be advised that all odds are accurate as of the publication date and time indicated, and they may be subject to alterations.
