Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano face off in the UEFA Conference League final at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday, 27 May 2026. The showdown kicks off at 21:00 (SAST).
The English and the Spanish sides have never met in any competition before the Conference League final. Crystal Palace finished the Premier League season ranked 15th, while Rayo Vallecano ended their La Liga campaign at position eight.
Crystal Palace Eliminates Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Conference League Semis
Crystal Palace booked their spot in the final after eliminating Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the third-tier European club football competition.
Oliver Glasner’s side edged Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 in the second leg of their semi-final encounter at Selhurst Park on 7 May 2026. Pedro Henrique gifted the Eagles the lead in the 25th minute after scoring an unfortunate own goal.
However, Henrique dusted himself off after the costly mistake and provided the assist when Eguinaldo levelled the score in the 34th minute. Ismaila Sarr then restored Palace’s lead in the 52nd minute, assisted by Tyrick Mitchell.
First Leg Overview
Crystal Palace trounced Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 in the first leg of their semi-final match at Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana in Poland on 30 April 2026.
Ismaila Sarr scored one of the quickest goals of the tournament in the match. He put the Eagles ahead in the 1st minute, assisted by Jean-Philippe Mateta. Assisted by Kaua Elias, the hosts’ Oleg Ocheretko responded in the 47th minute, levelling the score to 1-1.
Daichi Kamada restored Palace’s lead in the 58th minute, assisted by Maxence Lacroix. Jorgen Strand Larsen then put the game beyond the home side’s reach, scoring the Eagles’ third goal in the 84th minute.
Kamada provided the assist when Crystal Palace, who lost to AEK Larnaca earlier in the tournament, scored the third goal.
Who Did Rayo Vallecano Beat in the Semis?
Rayo Vallecano secured their place in the final after beating France’s Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Inigo Perez’s side edged Strasbourg 1-0 in the second leg of their encounter at Stade de la Meinau on 7 May 2026. Alemao netted the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute.
Strasbourg’s Julio Enciso missed a golden opportunity to equalise for the hosts when he failed to convert from the spot in the 90+4 minute.
First Leg Results
The Spanish team also defeated Strasbourg 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final clash at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas on 30 April 2026.
Alemao broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, assisted by Isi Palazon. The Brazilian forward’s goal was enough to see Rayo Vallecano secure victory at their home stadium in Spain.
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Key Players
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr has been in terrific form in the Conference League this season. The clinical forward has scored nine goals. Sarr also scored twice in the semi-finals, scoring a goal in each of the two legs against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Another Eagles player who poses a threat is Jean-Philippe Mateta. When he’s not scoring, the French national team forward creates goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
For Rayo Vallecano, Alemao is, without a doubt, one of their key players going into the final. The Brazilian goalscorer scored both goals when Rayo eliminated Strasbourg 2-0.
Alemao has scored four goals in the Conference League despite starting in only five matches. He has netted three goals in his last five appearances for Rayo. Impressive!
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For a live score of the Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano fixture and a detailed match timeline, including scorers, cards, and substitutions, visit our live scores page.
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