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What happened elsewhere in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night?

Zrinjski Mostar and Palace played out a 1-1 draw in Bosnia & Herzegovina after Ismaïla Sarr got his third European goal of the campaign.

And our game was just one of eight ties who played a first leg on Thursday evening across the continent.

Remember: the sides who finished between ninth and 24th in the league phase are all involved, to see who joins the top eight in the Round of 16.

Here's what else took place...

Palace’s final league phase opponents KuPS Kuopio hosted Lech Poznan in Finland, but it was the Polish side who emerged with an aggregate lead after a pivotal moment in the first 12 minutes.

Antoni Kozubal slammed Poznań into the lead, before Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba saw red just a few minutes later to leave the hosts facing an uphill battle.

It was a second straight European game where the Finnish Cup holders had a player sent off after Clinton Antwi was dismissed at Selhurst Park.

Poznań doubled their lead before half-time through Nigerian Taofeek Ismaheel and that is how it finished on the night, leaving KuPS to try and turn it around in the second leg.

2022/23 finalists Fiorentina had a below-par league phase campaign, finishing in 15th and losing as many games as they won – three.

But they were back to their best against Polish table-toppers Jagiellonia in Białystok.

Despite struggling to find their rhythm in the first-half, the Viola gradually wrestled control of the contest and showed some ruthless finishing to seize an aggregate advantage.

A powerful header from captain Luca Ranieri was followed by a stunning free-kick from Rolando Mandragora and a penalty from Roberto Piccoli did the damage.

It will take a huge turnaround from Jagiellonia in Tuscany next week to turn the tie around, with Fiorentina looking odds-on to face RC Strasbourg or Raków Częstochowa in the Round of 16.

AZ Alkmaar, who were defeated 3-1 at Selhurst Park in the league phase, were another side who would have originally targeted a top-eight finish, only to have to settle for a play-off spot.

And they will have to come from behind on aggregate if they want to progress further after a tough night in Armenia.

FC Noah controlled proceedings in the first-half of the opening leg, with Nardin Mulahusejnović forcing an excellent save from AZ goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet.

But they managed to make the breakthrough just eight minutes after half-time with captain Hovhannes Hambardzumyan blasting home after a sweeping team move.

The Dutch side belatedly threw everything at Noah in the closing stages, but in-form forward Troy Parrott was denied by the woodwork.

The winners of this tie will face AEK Athens or Sparta Prague in the next round, but former UEFA Cup runners-up AZ will need an inspired second leg at the AFAS Stadion to keep their European season alive.

### **FULL UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF FIRST LEG RESULTS**

* KuPS Kuopio 0-2 Lech Poznań

* Noah 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

* Sigma Olomouc 1-1 FC Lausanne-Sport

* Jagiellonia Białystok 0-3 Fiorentina

* KF Shkëndija 0-1 Samsunspor

* Dria 2-3 Celje

* **Zrinjski 1-1 Palace**

* Omonoia FC 0-1 HNK Rijeka

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