Conference League highlights and round-up: Chelsea win again, Fiorentina hit seven

With the league phase of the UEFA Conference League drawing to a close, Chelsea are sure of a round of 16 place while 15 more sides know they will be continuing their adventure into 2025.

UEFA.com rounds up the Matchday 5 action.

Astana 1-3 Chelsea

Chelsea maintained their perfect league phase record with a dominant victory in Almaty and are sure of a place in the round of 16 as one of the top eight sides in the league phase. Marc Guiu opened the scoring with a magnificent solo goal before adding a second from Pedro Neto’s delivery. Renato Veiga’s header made it 3-0, only for Marin Tomasov to give Astana hope with a fierce strike late in the first half. Tomasov forced a fine stop out of Filip Jørgensen in the second, but Enzo Maresca’s team held on comfortably.

Fiorentina 7-0 LASK

The Viola racked up their biggest European victory to see off LASK, with Riccardo Sottil striking twice. Sottil broke the deadlock after ten minutes, before a smart finish from Jonathan Ikoné and Amir Richardson's header gave the Serie A side a three-goal cushion at the break. Sottil nabbed his second 13 minutes into the second half, before Rolando Mandragora, a Filip Stojković own goal and Albert Gudmundsson's penalty secured a club-record winning margin in continental competition for the Florence-based outfit, who are also sure of a top-24 finish in the league phase.

Best of the rest

• In total, 16 sides are now sure of extending their Conference League campaign into 2025. Chelsea are the only side sure of a round of 16 place, while a knockout play-off place or better awaits Vitória SC, Fiorentina, Legia, Lugano, Shamrock Rovers, Cercle Brugge, Jagiellonia, Rapid, APOEL, Djurgården, Pafos, Gent, Olimpija, Heidenheim and Copenhagen.
• Lugano shrugged off conceding an early Ryoya Morishita goal away to Legia Warszawa to seal a 2-1 comeback success. Legia conceded for the first time in this league phase, with Lugano's win seeing them move level in the table on 12 points with the Polish club.
• Shamrock's unbeaten Conference League run continued as a convincing home victory against Borac ensured the League of Ireland club leapt into the top eight. Johnny Kenny hit a goal in each half to take his personal tally in the competition this term to five, moving him level at the top of the scoring charts.