Home UECL UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE Crystal Palace Edge Rayo to Lift Maiden Conference League Crown

Crystal Palace Edge Rayo to Lift Maiden Conference League Crown

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Crystal Palace Vs Rayo Vallecano
Crystal Palace claim historic European glory in Leipzig

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s rebound goal sealed a historic win for Palace, who held off late pressure to finish a perfect European campaign.


After a cagey first half, Mateta capitalised on a Batalla parry to give Palace the trophy. Glasner exits on a high as Rayo’s 9-game unbeaten run ends...


Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal secured Crystal Palace’s first-ever European trophy, as they edged Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig.


Palace came out strong, with Ismaila Sarr nearly creating a clear chance after a superb first touch in the box. A well-timed block, however, killed the momentum of his shot.


Daichi Kamada looked set to break through the defence, but Pathé Ciss brought him down with a late challenge and was only shown a yellow card.


Rayo Vallecano had a couple of warning shots of their own, with Alexandre Alemao and Unai Lopez both sending efforts just wide. The best chance before half-time fell to Tyrick Mitchell, who headed Adam Wharton’s excellent cross narrowly past the post.


Despite the chances, neither side managed a shot on target in the first half. The cautious approach made sense given it was both clubs’ first-ever European final.


Palace pushed for more intensity after the break, and Florian Lejeune had to be quick to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta a tap-in by sliding in to intercept the cross.


Mateta wasn’t to be denied for long. He pounced on the rebound from close range moments later after Augusto Batalla parried Adam Wharton’s strike from the edge of the area.


Glasner’s side kept pushing, and Yéremy Pino came inches from making it 2-0 when his free kick hit both posts. The woodwork denied them again on the rebound, and the offside flag ruled out any follow-up.




Mateta was stopped next by a good save from Batalla, who made amends for his earlier fumble. Sarr then couldn’t get a shot on target from close range.




As the final 10 minutes approached, nerves set in for Palace. They faced a few nervy moments but held firm at the back to secure a historic win.




Glasner will leave Crystal Palace on a high, delivering the club’s greatest moment in his last match in charge.




For Rayo, their nine-game unbeaten run (W6, D3) ended at the worst possible time. Still, it was a season to remember in only their second European campaign since reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 2000/01.




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