Conference League quarter-final second leg: AEK Athens vs Rayo Vallecano facts
Friday, April 10, 2026
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AEK Athens have it all to do when they take on Rayo Vallecano in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League quarter-final.
An early Ilias Akhomach strike (2) in the Madrid first leg on 9 April set the tone for the hosts, and their advantage was doubled when Unai Lopez (45+2) slotted in just before the break. An Isi Palazón (74) penalty in the second half sealed a 3-0 win for Rayo in what was their first meeting with a Greek side.
AEK Athens finished third in the league phase after earning 13 points. They followed that with a 4-2 aggregate win against Celje in the round of 16 (4-0 a, 0-2 h).
Rayo progressed to this stage after beating Samsunspor 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 (3-1 a, 0-1 h). They finished their first-ever group stage/league phase campaign in fifth position in the table, level with Rayo on 13 points.
Last match
The first leg was the first meeting between the teams, as well as Rayo Vallecano's debut fixture against Greek opponents.
AEK Athens, who had last faced a Spanish team in 2008, have won just two of their 19 matches against La Liga teams (D5 L12) and are winless in 16 (D5 L11). Their last victory was a 1-0 defeat of Athletic Club in the first leg of a 1988/89 UEFA Cup first-round tie they lost 1-2 on aggregate.
The Greek side won their first two home encounters against Spanish teams, but are winless in the subsequent seven fixtures (D3 L4), most recently playing out a 1-1 draw with Getafe in the first leg of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup round 32 – a tie they would go on to lose 1-4 on aggregate.
AEK have lost all six two-legged European ties with Spanish opponents.
AEK are taking part in UEFA competition for the ninth time in ten seasons, qualifying included.
This is AEK's first UEFA quarter-final since the 1997/98 European Cup Winners' Cup, when they were eliminated by Lokomotiv Moskva (0-0 h, 1-2 a). They have won just one of their four previous European quarter‑finals — a 7-6 penalty shoot-out victory against Queens Park Rangers in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup after a 3-3 aggregate draw (0-3 a, 3-0 h aet).
Rayo's only previous European campaign took them to the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, where they lost to fellow Spanish side Alavés 2-4 on aggregate (0-3 a, 2-1 h).
They have therefore reached the last eight in both of their European campaigns.
Key stats
The first-leg loss in Spain was only AEK's third in their last 16 European games (W9 D4). They had won four in a row before their 2-0 home defeat by Celje in the second leg of the round of 16.
AEK have therefore lost their last two games without scoring, conceding five goals.
AEK have won their last four two‑legged European ties — all this season.
The Greek club have won just one of the seven previous European ties in which they lost the first leg by a three‑goal margin, that 1976/77 success against Queens Park Rangers in their only previous UEFA Cup/Europa League quarter‑final.
Rayo have won seven of their eight previous two-legged European ties including all six in which they won the first leg.
The Spanish side have lost only two of their last 12 games in UEFA competition (W9 D1).
Rayo have scored two or more goals in eight of their last ten European fixtures.