Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano: A Glorious Night in Leipzig

After helping Crystal Palace win their first major trophy, the FA Cup last season, Oliver Glasner now has the opportunity to cap off a historic journey by leading the Eagles to the UEFA Conference League title.

Bringing the English side to a European final in their debut season showcases the Austrian manager's talent. He is just one match away from completing a hat-trick of trophies in 12 months, having won the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace last year.

Crystal Palace is the first team to reach a European final on their first attempt since Deportivo Alavés in the 2000-2001 UEFA Cup. If they win, they will be the first to do so since KV Mechelen in the 1987-1988 Cup Winners' Cup.

Crystal Palace are the top scorers in the Conference League this season with 25 goals, including 14 in knockout matches. Their strength lies in attack, with the dangerous duo Ismaila Sarr and Mateta. Sarr leads the competition's scoring chart with 9 goals and has found the net in the last five games.

Austrian coach Glasner is no stranger to brilliant European nights. He led Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2021-2022 after a penalty shootout win over Rangers. He now has the chance to become the second Austrian manager in history to lead a team to more than one European cup final, following the legendary Ernst Happel.

If successful, Crystal Palace would become the third English club to win the Conference League, after West Ham and Chelsea.

The challenge for Crystal Palace in the final is the La Liga side Rayo Vallecano, who are expected to be a tough opponent.

Without many big stars, Rayo Vallecano impresses with their disciplined style and strong fighting spirit. The La Liga representatives are writing their own fairy tale by reaching a European final for the first time.

Coach Inigo Perez's team made a strong impression this season, despite missing out on European qualification in La Liga after being overtaken by Getafe on the final matchday. Therefore, victory in Leipzig is their only path to return to European competition next season. If they succeed, it will be their second time qualifying for the Europa League/UEFA Cup since the 2000-2001 season.

For Perez, at 38 years old, he becomes the youngest Spanish manager to lead a team to a European final since Pep Guardiola did so with Barcelona in the 2008-2009 Champions League.

Crystal Palace and Rayo have never met before. This is also the 20th European final between English and Spanish clubs. From the 2005-2006 season to 2021-2022, La Liga teams won nine consecutive finals against Premier League representatives, before Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4-1 in the most recent final.

The match between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano will take place at 2:00 AM on May 28. This is Oliver Glasner's final season with Crystal Palace, and it would be perfect if the manager bids farewell to the Eagles with a trophy.

Expected starting lineups for both teams
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Riad, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Mateta, Pino
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Mendy, Lejeune, Chavarria, Ciss, Valentin, De Frutos, Palazon, Espino, Alemao