Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Conference League match.
If Crystal Palace do not win, they risk failing to finish in the top eight of the League Phase and therefore not qualifying directly for the Round of 16.
Crystal Palace
They should not have lost at home to AEK Larnaca in the second round (0:1), when the side took 15 shots but hit the target only once. They played in roughly the same way in their last Premier League fixture against Manchester City. Against them, the squad looked competitive, had more shots (16-7) and hit the woodwork twice, but their 1.88 xG did not translate into goals. The result was a 0:3 defeat.
KuPS
KuPS are currently the first team outside the knockout stage places, but they still have a chance to climb as high as 12th. Their problem is that, despite a solid defence (three goals conceded), the Finnish side score few goals (four). Most of those came in the home match against Slovan Bratislava (3:1). They have not scored at all in 180 minutes away from home, while their opponents have scored only once (Jagiellonia Białystok).
Crystal Palace vs KuPS Prediction
If nothing extraordinary happens, such as a sending-off, Crystal Palace should win, but given their conversion in attack and KuPS's reliability in defence, we do not expect many goals.
