UECL: Rayo Edge Strasbourg in France to Secure First-Ever European Final

Penders heroics in vain as Rayo Vallecano book Conference League final

Mike Penders made several key saves for Strasbourg but couldn’t prevent Rayo from extending their unbeaten run to five matches.

Strasbourg exit Europe with five losses in six games after also being knocked out of the Coupe de France...

Rayo Vallecano secured a place in their first-ever European final after a 1-0 away win over Strasbourg at Stade de la Meinau gave them a 2-0 aggregate victory in the UEFA Conference League.

Mike Penders produced an outstanding one-handed save in the seventh minute to deny Alemão an early opener for Rayo, while Jorge de Frutos later blazed over from a good position for the visitors.

By the 30-minute mark, Strasbourg had only managed two touches inside Rayo’s penalty area and were struggling to build any momentum, with Valentin Barco’s creativity and Julio Enciso’s work on the wing both effectively shut down.

Penders was called into action again shortly after, getting a hand to Unai Lopez’s long-range effort, and Rayo kept up the pressure until it finally paid off in the 42nd minute.

When Penders tipped away Florian Lejeune’s well-controlled right-foot volley, the rebound fell straight to Alemao, who made no mistake in putting Rayo ahead on the night.

Guela Doue’s shot on target immediately after was Strasbourg’s first of the match, and without a significant improvement, it looked set to be a frustrating night for the hosts.

If Strasbourg hoped for a calmer second half, they didn’t get it. Penders once again pulled off an acrobatic save to deny Isi Palazon’s powerful strike. With Rayo controlling the tempo and registering 19 shots to Strasbourg’s three, the visitors were clearly dominant across the pitch.

Martial Godo was a rare bright spot for Strasbourg, making five tackles, more than anyone on the field. It was small consolation for the Ligue 1 side though, as Julio Enciso’s stoppage-time penalty was saved dramatically by Augusto Batalla to cap off a disappointing evening.

A brilliant away performance from Rayo Vallecano 👏#UECL pic.twitter.com/VzECULIoG4

— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 7, 2026

The defeat leaves Strasbourg with five losses in their last six matches across all competitions, and marks their exit from Europe shortly after being eliminated from the Coupe de France. Rayo, in contrast, are unbeaten in five games (W4 D1) and head to Leipzig for the Conference League final, where they will face Crystal Palace.