Palace's European Gauntlet: Two Play-offs Added

Crystal Palace must play two additional European play-off matches in February after a draw with KuPS, extending their grueling season potentially to 68 games.

Crystal Palace's inaugural European campaign has been extended, requiring them to navigate an additional two-legged play-off in February for a chance to reach the Conference League's last 16. A 2-2 draw with Finnish champions KuPS on Thursday confirmed their place in this extra round, adding more fixtures to an already demanding schedule.

The intense turnaround between matches saw manager Oliver Glasner field a weakened side against KuPS, prioritizing the upcoming Premier League clash with Leeds United. This comes after a recent run of games with minimal rest, and ahead of a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal next Tuesday.

Having been demoted from the Europa League due to ownership rules and already participating in an earlier Conference League play-off round in August, Palace could potentially play a remarkable 68 matches this season. This rigorous schedule underscores the challenges of competing on multiple fronts in their debut European season.

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