According to a report by BBC Sport on Thursday, October 15, 2026, Brighton lead the UEFA Conference League standings after the opening round of league-phase matches, following an impressive 4-0 victory over Kauno Žalgiris.

The English club made a strong start to their European campaign, scoring four goals without conceding to finish the opening matchday at the top of the 36-team table with three points and a goal difference of +4.

Copenhagen occupy second place after recording a convincing 3-0 victory over Braga. The Danish side also collected three points without conceding, but Brighton's superior goal difference gives them the advantage.

Trabzonspor sit third following their 4-2 away win against KuPS Kuopio. The Turkish club scored four times in Finland to secure a positive start to their league-phase campaign.

Atalanta occupy fourth position after defeating Pafos 3-1 in Italy. The Serie A side collected three points and established a goal difference of +2, placing them among the early contenders for a top-eight finish.

Mjällby and Sint-Truidense occupy fifth and sixth positions respectively after both teams recorded 2-0 victories. Mjällby defeated Inter Escaldes, while Sint-Truidense overcame Iberia Tbilisi to begin their campaigns with clean sheets.

Freiburg and Lugano complete the top eight after each secured a 3-2 victory. The German side defeated Jablonec, while Lugano edged Crvena Zvezda in a five-goal encounter.

Elsewhere, Monaco began their campaign with a 2-1 away victory over CSKA Sofia, while Twente defeated Thun 1-0. Gent also recorded a narrow 1-0 victory against Aarhus, and Panathinaikos beat Borac 2-1.

One of the biggest surprises of the opening round came in Croatia, where Ajax suffered a 2-1 defeat against Hajduk Split. The Dutch club will need to improve in their subsequent fixtures to strengthen their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

Atalanta's victory and Brighton's commanding performance highlighted the competitive nature of the opening matchday, with several clubs already demonstrating their attacking strength.

Under the Conference League format, the top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify directly for the round of 16. Clubs finishing ninth to 24th enter the knockout phase play-offs, while those placed 25th to 36th are eliminated.

The second round of league-phase matches is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, when Ajax host Atalanta and Brighton travel to face Jablonec as teams look to improve their positions in the standings.