Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano: What to look out for in the UEFA Conference League final
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
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Check out the lay of the land as first-time European finalists Crystal Palace take on Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig.
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First-time finalists Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano are preparing for the biggest European night in their history in the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League final.
We pick out some key talking points ahead of the decider in Leipzig.
The set-up
The Conference League was founded to give an exciting chance for clubs, players and fans to prove themselves on a whole new stage, and the 2026 final will be something new for everyone involved, with Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano both making it to a major European decider in only their second continental campaigns. Palace's only previous European tilt was a brief cameo in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, while Rayo's first took them to the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, where they lost out to Alavés.
Both sides come from the south sides of two of Europe's footballing capitals – Crystal Palace from London, Rayo from Vallecas in Madrid. Palace have some recent experience of knockout success; they beat Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup final after losing in the 1990 and 2016 showpieces. Rayo, meanwhile, have never reached the final of any major Spanish knockout competition, and will be on new ground in so many ways in Leipzig.
The key statistics
Palace (25 goals) and Rayo (22) are the top scorers in this season's Conference League, but the Eagles took a more circuitous route to the final, having played two more games than Rayo after having to go through the knockout phase play-offs. Both sides have won eight games and lost three since the start of the league phase (Palace have drawn three matches, while one of Rayo's has ended level). Both sides have also averaged around 52% possession in their games.
When it comes to goals, Palace have a none-too-secret weapon in Ismaïla Sarr, who tops the scorers rankings with nine goals, having registered at least once in each of his sides last five knockout games in the competition. With four goals, Alemão has been Rayo's top scorer since the start of the league phase, while Álvaro Garcia and Isi Palazón have chipped in with three each.
The men in charge
Palace coach Oliver Glasner is set to leave the club in the summer, the Austrian having been in charge at Selhurst Park since February 2024. During that time, he has steered Palace to their biggest success to date, the 2024/25 FA Cup win, and could sign off with something bigger still in Leipzig. Moreover, he has experience of major European occasions, having led Eintracht Frankfurt to glory in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League.
Rayo's Iñigo Pérez has not got that kind of continental pedigree to fall back on. Prior to this season, his only experience of UEFA competition was 14 Europa League appearances as a midfielder for Athletic Club, including a solitary goal, in a 6-0 win against HJK Helsinki in August 2012. However, in his first senior job as a coach, the 38-year-old (who, like Glasner, was hired in February 2024) has shown an impressive ability to stand up to more seasoned opponents.
On-field connections
Palace and Rayo have never met, but a few players in the two squads will be on speaking terms. Rayo's Andrei Rațiu and Palace's Yéremy Pino were trainees together at Villarreal, while Rayo's Ilias Akhomach and Palace's Chadi Riad were contemporaries in the youth ranks at Barcelona. Akhomach and Pino then played senior football together at Villarreal from 2023–25.
Rayo's Nobel Mendy and Palace's Chadi Riad were also team-mates relatively recently at Betis (2023/24), while Rayo's Iván Balliu played at Metz alongside Palace sharp-shooter Ismaïla Sarr in 2016/17. Rayo goalkeeper Dani Cárdenas will certainly know was Palace's Jefferson Lerma by sight; Cárdenas was in the reserve team at Levante while Lerma was in the senior side (2015–18).
What do the 2026 Conference League winners get?
Aside from an eye-catching trophy, the winners gain a place in the following season's Europa League league phase if they have not qualified for the Champions League via their domestic competition.