One stat from each side after the Conference League quarter-final first legs

[p][b]7 [/b]- [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Rayo Vallecano[/a] opened the night [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aek-athens-ANpZncAM/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/?mid=61dcIN26"]with a 3-0 defeat[/a] of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aek/ANpZncAM/"]AEK Athens[/a] in Madrid. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akhomach-ilias/ATAVnRY7/"]Ilias Akhomach[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lopez-unai/dYFtDut6/"]Unai Lopez[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palazon-isaac/x2AuZhpr/"]Isaac Palazon[/a] were the goalscorers for the Spaniards, who now have a firm foot in the last four. After suffering their first-ever home defeat in the round of 16, Rayo did not joke around this time, and left AEK with a mountain to climb.[/p][p]It was the seventh time that Los Franjirrojos kept a clean sheet in a home European match.[/p][embed guid="686ad26d-e64f-4b32-9749-2e7261abd821" url="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2042313204731175357?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]12 [/b]- AEK will have to come up big in front of their fans next Thursday, having suffered their heaviest defeat in continental action since 2020/21.[/p][p]Their last four defeats in Europe have been by multiple goals, which is never a promising sign. If the Greeks are to prevail, they will have to beat a Spanish side for just the third time in what would be 20 games. Dikefalos suffered defeat against a LaLiga team for the 12th time.[/p][p][b]20[/b] - A strong showing from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] saw them past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fiorentina/Q3A3IbXH/"]Fiorentina[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/crystal-palace-AovF1Mia/fiorentina-Q3A3IbXH/?mid=v3U4iQN9"]3-0 at Selhurst Park[/a]. Two goals in seven minutes during the first half sent the Eagles on their way, before a 90th-minute header from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sarr-ismaila/ll2uTDkB/"]Ismaila Sarr[/a] strengthened their position in the tie.[/p][p]It will now be a matter of whether they can put up a similar performance in Florence a week from now. That Sarr goal near the end brought Palace's tally to 20 in the Conference League this term.[/p][embed guid="ae4c2628-3911-4b92-a5fc-f55550797ea8" url="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2042349383891501341?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]2[/b] - Fiorentina are in serious danger of having their earliest exit in the UECL ever. La Viola[i] [/i]will not be returning to the competition next season, and unless they go all the way this spring, they will not be in Europe at all. Perhaps a positive for them is the fact that they have already won three games in the tournament this term by three goals.[/p][p]Those all came on the road, though. The Tuscans rarely troubled Palace, having had just two shots on target in the match.[/p][p][b]10[/b] - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sano-kaishu/v13GHQFg/"]Kaishu Sano[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/posch-stefan/nsVWqZE2/"]Stefan Posch[/a] got the goals for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mainz/EuakNmc1/"]Mainz[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mainz-EuakNmc1/strasbourg-nP6UzIU1/?mid=AwgwMpnp"]in their 2-0 success[/a] over the previously unbeaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/strasbourg/nP6UzIU1/"]Strasbourg[/a]. Already enjoying their best run in a UEFA club competition, Die Nullfunfer[i] [/i]are on the cusp of becoming the first Bundesliga side in the semi-finals of the Conference League.[/p][p]They have not been as successful on the road, but they will have reason to believe they can hold on. Mainz picked up their 10th home win in European football all-time.[/p][embed guid="7f3942ba-d887-419a-ac69-81f453a6a2bc" url="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2042348068851294346?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]3[/b] - An out-of-sorts Strasbourg are now facing some serious adversity in the UECL, something they have not really had to deal with throughout their run to this stage. [i]Le Racing [/i]had half the shots to the hosts, and just two attempts on target.[/p][p]In their four other game against teams from Germany, Strasbourg have never won by multiple goals. In fact, they have only prevailed once, with the Mainz loss being their third in such matches.[/p][p][b]14 [/b]- After a largely even first 70 minutes, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shakhtar/4ENWX2OA/"]Shakhtar Donetsk[/a] waited for the last 20 minutes to inflict their damage on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ Alkmaar[/a]. The Pitmen, one of two sides left to have won a UEFA club competition, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/az-alkmaar-2RxOow1i/shakhtar-donetsk-4ENWX2OA/?mid=AHyVWMHa"]came out on top 3-0 in Poland[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/nHKAso1L/"]Alisson[/a]'s two-minute brace towards the end has the Ukrainians in a commanding spot. While they went into the match with a poor record versus Dutch teams, Shakhtar have now scored 14 times against Eredivisie clubs.[/p][embed guid="07efa4d6-11bf-42f8-8c2c-d48e6ce669c2" url="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2042347417991880950?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]5[/b] - As they often do, AZ continue to struggle on the road in Europe. The Eredivisie side have a near-flawless record at home this term, but have been quite inconsistent on their travels.[/p][p]That may very well be the deciding factor as to whether they lift the trophy at season's end. That looks a lot less likely, though they did overcome a deficit in their other UECL quarter-final three years ago.[/p][p]Thursday's loss was AZ's fifth of the season, all coming away from home. The last time they managed that total was in that 2022/23 campaign when they reached the last four.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/conference-league/"]Follow the UEFA Conference League knockout rounds on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]