Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano Conference League preview, team news and prediction

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Premier League and La Liga meet in the Conference League final for a second straight season on Wednesday, as Crystal Palace take on Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig with Europe’s third-tier prize at stake. Palace booked their place in the showpiece by seeing off Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals, while Rayo overcame Strasbourg to move to within 90 minutes of the first major trophy in their history.

The bookies are expecting this to go one way with the Eagles joining the Villans in conquering their respective European competitions as the Premier League side are 17/20 favourites with BetGoodwin while La Liga side are 3/1 with Sky Bet and Paddy Power is offering 23/10 for a draw to force extra-time. You can also find more betting offers at the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers .

For Oliver Glasner, the occasion carries added significance. The Austrian has already tasted European glory after leading Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2022, and he now has the chance to deliver Palace another landmark moment. Despite a strained relationship with the club’s hierarchy in recent months, Glasner is one win away from securing a third trophy in 12 months following FA Cup and Community Shield success in 2025.

Palace’s route to the final has been emphatic since the league phase, where they only finished 10th. In the knockout rounds they have underlined Premier League strength - alongside Arsenal and Aston Villa — as English clubs chase a clean sweep of all three European trophies for the first time. Zrinjski Mostar, AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina and Shakhtar have all been swept aside, and Palace’s 25 Conference League goals, including 14 in the knockouts, is the competition’s best return.

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Domestic form, though, has been far less convincing. Since completing the job against Shakhtar, Palace failed to win any of their final four Premier League matches, ending the season with a 2-1 defeat to champions Arsenal and an underwhelming 15th-place finish.

Rayo, by contrast, largely balanced Europe with their league campaign. Inigo Perez’s side pushed for a top-seven finish in La Liga but came up a point short of Getafe in the Conference League play-off spot. That leaves Leipzig as their only route back into Europe next season - and a chance to reach the continent again for the first time since their lone previous UEFA Cup/Europa League run in 2000-01.

Rayo’s strong fifth-place league-phase finish meant they avoided the knockout-round play-off, but their last-16 and quarter-final ties were more uncomfortable than expected: they won first legs, lost second legs, and still squeezed through. In the semi-finals, however, they showed greater control, beating Strasbourg 1-0 both home and away to reach their first European final.

They also arrive in Germany with momentum. A 3-1 second-leg defeat to AEK Athens in the quarter-finals is their last loss in any competition, and Perez’s side are now nine matches unbeaten, winning six. They signed off their league season with a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves sealed by a 90th-minute Randy Nketa winner - the perfect lift heading into the biggest night in the club’s 101-year history.

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Glasner’s half-time decision to introduce Adam Wharton against Arsenal backfired. The England international lasted only 16 minutes before he was forced off with an ankle injury, although it is not believed to be serious. Wharton is still thought to have a strong chance of being fit for the final, but Chris Richards (ankle) and Borna Sosa (issue not specified) are bigger doubts. Cheick Doucoure (issue not specified) and Eddie Nketiah (thigh) will not feature.

Nketiah’s absence may be less damaging thanks to the form of Ismaila Sarr, who has scored in each of his last five Conference League appearances and leads the competition’s scoring charts with nine goals. Rayo Vallecano also suffered a late setback on the final day of the domestic season, with winger Carlos Martin withdrawn after 38 minutes against Deportivo Alaves due to a back problem, leaving him doubtful for Wednesday.

Ilias Akhomach (quad) and Diego Mendez are also doubts, while Luiz Felipe (muscle) is out for the season. However, Isi Palazon is available despite serving a seven-match domestic ban. Palazon has three Conference League goals this season — one fewer than top scorer Alemao, who struck in both legs of the semi-final win over Strasbourg.

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