Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Conference League | Final
At the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on Wednesday night, Crystal Palace have an excellent opportunity to add to their trophy cabinet as they take on Rayo Vallecano.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – HBO Max / USA – Paramount+
Key stats
- Crystal Palace have made it through to the final in their debut season in a major UEFA competition. Their only previous UEFA participation was the 1998 Intertoto Cup campaign which ended in their opening tie in the third round.
- Crystal Palace are the third English club – all from London – to reach the UEFA Conference League final, after West Ham (2022/23) and Chelsea (2024/25), both who went on to lift the trophy.
- Crystal Palace are aiming to become the 12th different English club to win a major UEFA men’s club competition after Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Ipswich Town, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
- Crystal Palace have lost only three of their 16 previous UEFA matches this season (W9 D4).
- Following the semi-finals, Crystal Palace are now unbeaten in their last six UEFA home matches (W4 D2).
- Crystal Palace are the top scorers in this season’s UEFA Conference League (LP to F) with 25 goals, three more than nearest rivals Rayo Vallecano (22).
- Ismaïla Sarr has scored in Crystal Palace’s last five UEFA Conference League matches, netting six goals in that run. He is the top scorer in the competition proper this season with nine goals.
- Brennan Johnson scored the winning goal for Tottenham in last season’s UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United.
- Yéremy Pino was the youngest Spanish player to start a major European final, aged 18 years and 218 days – when he won the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League with Villarreal.
- Daichi Kamada scored in the penalty shoot-out for Eintracht Frankfurt in their success against Rangers in the 2021/22 Europa League final.
- Oliver Glasner is aiming for a second UEFA competition title as a coach having led Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2021/22
- Rayo Vallecano have reached their first UEFA final in only their second season of European competition. Their previous UEFA participation came in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, where they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Alavés in the last eight.
- Rayo Vallecano are the second Spanish team to reach the UEFA Conference League final, following Real Betis who lost to Chelsea last season.
- Rayo Vallecano have lost only four of their last 20 UEFA matches (W14 D2).
- Rayo Vallecano coach Iñigo Pérez featured in the 2011/12 Europa League final as a player with Athletic Club, losing out 3-0 against Atleti.
- Alemão scored the only goal of the game in both legs of their semi-final tie against Strasbourg.
- Iñigo Pérez is aiming to be the second Spanish coach to win this competition after José Luis Mendilibar who won the title with Olympiacos in 2023/24.
- Iñigo Pérez has taken Rayo Vallecano to the Conference League final in his first-ever UEFA campaign as a coach.
Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano prediction
Crystal Palace won their first ever trophy with the FA Cup last year before winning the Community Shield a few months later. Oliver Glasner will depart the Eagles this summer and yet the South Londoners could finish his relatively short reign with a third trophy and, as a result, UEFA Europa League qualification – at last after last summer’s administrative debacle.
Inigo Perez’ Rayo Vallecano come into this one on the back of an extremely impressive season in La Liga, whereby they finished eighth in the table. The visitors have dealt admirably with self-inflicted off-field issues. They play an intense and aggressive style of football that should suit quite an open and entertaining final in Germany.
Palace have to be viewed as the favourites but the style of counter-attacking play may not work against a Rayo side that don’t mind not having the ball themselves to themselves swarm and suffocate their opposition. Something will have to give and that might help a more entertaining affair with both teams scoring a decent bet.
Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano tip: Both teams to score
