Overview
Oliver Glasner is facing the opportunity to close his historic journey with Crystal Palace with a European title. "Eagles" will face Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig.
After helping Palace win the first major title in history with the FA Cup championship last season, Glasner became one of the most beloved coaches at Selhurst Park. Bringing the English team to the European final right in his first season of participation makes the legacy of the Austrian strategist even more special, especially when he confirmed that he will leave the team after this season.
Crystal Palace is the first team to reach the European final in their first participation since Deportivo Alavas in the UEFA Cup in the 2000-2001 season. If crowned, they will become the first team to do so since KV Mechelen at the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1987-1988 season.
Speaking to fans after the 1-2 defeat to Arsenal in the final round of the Premier League, Glasner affirmed that the match at Leipzig could be the most beautiful moment in club history.
President Steve Parish said that the FA Cup championship is the best day, but I think the best is still ahead, in Leipzig" - Glasner shared.
The Austrian captain is also no stranger to big European nights. He once helped Eintracht Frankfurt win the Europa League in the 2021-2022 season after a penalty shootout victory over Rangers. Glasner is therefore preparing to become the second Austrian coach in history to lead more than one European Cup final, after legend Ernst Happel.
Crystal Palace is aiming to become the third English club to win the Conference League, after West Ham and Chelsea. However, the challenge for them is predicted to be not easy at all.
Both Palace and Rayo Vallecano stand out thanks to their solid defense. Palace only faces an average of 0.82 expected goals conceded (xGA) per match in the Conference League this season, while the number of the Spanish representative is 0.98.
Rayo Vallecano is also writing their own fairy tale when they first participate in a major European Cup final. Coach Inigo Perez's team made a strong impression this season, despite losing a European Cup spot in La Liga to Getafe in the final round.
At the age of 38 and 129 days, Perez became the youngest Spanish coach to lead a team to the European final since Pep Guardiola and Barcelona in the 2008-2009 Champions League.
However, Rayo also admitted that they are underestimated compared to Crystal Palace. The biggest strength of the La Liga representative is the almost full force after the return of Alvaro Garcia.
Meanwhile, Palace is likely to be without Chris Richards due to an ankle ligament injury. Adam Wharton also left open the possibility of playing after missing the match against Arsenal last weekend.
Head-to-head record
This will be Crystal Palace's 15th match and Rayo Vallecano's 23rd match in major European cups. A total of 38 matches between the two teams is the lowest number for a European final match since the 1964-1965 Cup Winners' Cup final, when West Ham (9 matches) met 1860 Munich (10 matches).
Crystal Palace and Rayo have never faced each other before. This is also the 20th European Cup final between English and Spanish clubs. From the 2005-2006 to 2021-2022 seasons, La Liga teams have won 9 consecutive finals against the English representative, before Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4-1 in the most recent final.
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
The match between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano takes place at 2:00 a.m. on May 28 (Vietnam time).
