Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Tue 10 March 2026 18:00, UK

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Crystal Palace will take on AEK Larnaca at Selhurst Park in the first leg of their Conference League last 16 tie on Thursday.

The Eagles have averted a nightmare run of 12 games across all competitions without a win of late, winning four of their last seven.

Thursday’s 3-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium appears to have quelled any talk of Oliver Glasner’s departure, after he had been under huge pressure.

The Austrian is due to leave at the end of the season regardless, but had been heavily under the cosh amid fan outrage and a slip towards the relegation zone.

With Palace now boasting a sizable gap to the drop zone, however, focus has turned back towards hopes of a positive end to Glasner’s reign in the Conference League.

Crystal Palace expected to surpass AEK Larnaca

Palace ultimately suffered a disappointing league stage of the Conference League, finishing 10th overall.

The Eagles lost twice and were forced to meet Bosnian team Zrinjski Mostar in a play-off tie, making a meal of even that.

Glasner’s team were held to a draw in the first leg, but did manage to win 2-0 in the return leg at Selhurst Park.

A slight return to form appears to have come at the right time for Palace. Wins against Wolves, Zrinjski Mostar, and Tottenham have seen the confidence pumped back in, with there now being a determination to finish the season well.

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Palace want Glasner to stay until the end of the season and lead that potentially positive end.

Thursday’s visitors AEK Larnaca, are home to the Cypriot first division, and remained unbeaten in their league-stage run, conceding just one goal.

Yet Opta‘s supercomputer has predicted a fairly straightforward tie for the Premier League side, who have been handed a 83.99 per cent chance of making it to the quarter-final.

Who could Palace play in the quarter-final?

Should Palace progress past AEK Larnaca, they will be set to face off against either Fiorentina or Polish side Rakow.

The supercomputer has only given its slight backing to the Serie A side, after Rakow finished second in the league stage.

Fiorentina lost the Conference League final in both 2023 and 2024, and were knocked out at the semi-final stage last season.

The Italian side are currently 17th in Serie A, however, and under serious threat of relegation.