Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano LIVE: Conference League final match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction | OneFootball

Eagles bidding to end Oliver Glasner’s tenure with first European trophy success in Leipzig

Stage is set: Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano contest the Conference League final in Leipzig tonight

The Conference League final takes centre stage tonight as Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano go head to head for glory in Leipzig. It is a first appearance in a major European showpiece for both clubs, with the Eagles hoping to end Oliver Glasner’s remarkable tenure with another trophy to add to the FA Cup and Community Shield they have already claimed during a fairytale 12 months.

Palace ended the Premier League season down in 15th place amid a seven-match winless run, though have long since had their main focus on this competition after brushing aside the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Fiorentina in the knockout stages. They are now favourites to overcome a Rayo team who are preparing for their first top-level final of any description as they continue to defy the odds under Inigo Perez, finishing eighth in LaLiga for the second successive campaign despite a tiny budget while overcoming Strasbourg in the last four of the Conference League.

Adam Wharton should be fit to start for Palace tonight after limping out of Sunday’s Premier League finale against Arsenal with an ankle injury, likewise Chris Richards. Follow the Conference League final live below!

Live updates

1 minute ago

Crystal Palace team

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Riad, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Pino, Mateta

Subs: Matthews, Benitez, Clyne, Lerma, Richards, Sosa, Cardines, Hughes, Devenny, Johnson, Guessand, Strand Larsen

5 minutes ago

Crystal Palace eyeing Europa League spot after demotion controversy

Speaking of the Europa League, that of course was the competition that Crystal Palace qualified for and thought they would be playing in this term after winning last season’s FA Cup final.

However, they were controversially demoted by UEFA for breaching rules around multi-club ownership and their place instead went to Nottingham Forest, who subsequently reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Aston Villa.

How sweet it would be for Palace tonight to clinch Conference League glory and with it an automatic spot in the league phase of the 2026/27 Europa League.

They would be the third English club to win Europe’s tertiary club competition in the six years since it was first introduced in 2021/22, with West Ham beating Fiorentina in the 2022/23 final in Prague and Chelsea demolishing Real Betis last season in Wroclaw.

The other winners so far were Roma - under Jose Mourinho - and Olympiacos.

12 minutes ago

Glasner set for final chapter in remarkable Crystal Palace tenure

Tonight is of course the final game of Oliver Glasner’s remarkable two-year tenure at Crystal Palace, that has already seen the club break their major trophy duck by winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield at Wembley in the space of just three months in 2025 - beating Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively.

Though things briefly turned very sour back in January when Glasner announced that he would be leaving Selhurst Park when his contract expires in the summer amid a dismal run of Premier League form, with some calling for him to be sacked, there is no question whatsoever of the significant standing that the Austrian holds within the club’s history.

Can he further cement that legacy tonight by guiding Palace to their first European silverware?

And what does the future hold for Glasner, with no next job seemingly lined up?

It is worth noting that Glasner knows what it takes to win a major European final as a manager, having guided Eintracht Frankfurt past Rangers on penalties to win the 2021/22 Europa League in Seville.

Palace supporters will be hoping that experience counts for a lot tonight.

27 minutes ago

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano fans clash in Leipzig

Regrettably there was some fan trouble on the eve of the Conference League final in Leipzig, which you can read more about here.

"At approximately 20:00 (19:00 BST), around 300 Rayo Vallecano fans, considered to be at high risk of hooliganism, were gathered in the city centre," read a statement from Saxon State Police on Tuesday night.

"Bottles, beer glasses, and pub furniture were thrown at each other. Physical altercations also occurred.

"Officers on the scene immediately intervened and separated the two groups of fans, checked the identities of more than 300 people, and issued dispersal orders.

"Known troublemakers from Crystal Palace moved to the area of the Penguin Ice Bar and approximately 60 individuals provoked passing Spanish fans and were surrounded by federal police."

Let’s hope for no repeat of those sorts of ugly scenes tonight.

37 minutes ago

Atmosphere ramping up in Leipzig

The pre-match atmosphere is building nicely in sunny Leipzig, where Crystal Palace were given a ticket allocation of 13,000 for a stadium that holds 47,800 people.

Plenty more have made the journey out to Saxony in eastern Germany in order to soak up the experience of their club reaching a major European final for the very first time.

More than 10,000 Eagles supporters are also expected at Selhurst Park this evening for an official final viewing party.

Arguably the biggest night in the club’s history could turn out to be a very special occasion indeed.

PA

PA

51 minutes ago

Conference League final prediction

This is a game that Crystal Palace know and believe they can win.

Just 90 minutes now stands between them and a maiden European honour, and it would further cement Oliver Glasner’s place in the club’s history books forever.

They have the firepower, they have the quality, and they have the belief.

Rayo have done superbly to get to this stage and won’t be pushovers, but Palace are favourites for a reason.

Crystal Palace to win, 3-1.

56 minutes ago

Rayo Vallecano team news

Forward Carlos Martin should be fit for Rayo Vallecano tonight after the Atletico Madrid loanee returned to training swiftly, having gone off with a back injury after just 38 minutes of Saturday’s final-day 2-1 win away at Alaves in LaLiga.

Rayo boss Inigo Perez is also hoping that Moroccan winger Ilias Akhomach and midfielder Diego Mendez are fit, while Isi Palazon is available despite serving a seven-match suspension in LaLiga.

However, Brazilian centre-back Luiz Felipe is definitely sidelined.

1 hour ago

Crystal Palace team news

Crystal Palace’s chief injury concerns ahead of the final have involved Adam Wharton and Chris Richards.

Wharton limped off in the second half of Sunday’s Premier League finale against Arsenal with an ankle knock, having only been introduced at the break, while Richards missed the game entirely with his own ankle injury.

"I don't want to tell you yet if they can start or not,” Oliver Glasner said of the duo at yesterday’s pre-match press conference in Leipzig.

"But they were available today in training and that's a good sign.

“We still have 36 hours before the game and the medical department will work hard [to get them ready].

“They will work hard until late into the night.

It has since been reported that both Wharton and Richards are expected to start this evening.

Long-term absentees Eddie Nketiah and Cheick Doucoure remain out for Palace, while left-back Borna Sosa is still a doubt.

PA

1 hour ago

How to watch Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano

TV channel: In the UK, tonight’s Conference League final will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 6.30pm BST.

Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the final live online via the HBO Max app and website.

1 hour ago

Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano live

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano in the 2025/26 Conference League final.

After Aston Villa’s rousing win over Freiburg in the Europa League showpiece last week, and with Arsenal taking on holders Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Saturday night, this the second of three instalments of English teams reaching all major European finals - the first time that has ever happened in the same season.

Palace are favourites to overcome Rayo in Leipzig tonight and complete a fairytale 12 months with a first major European trophy to end Oliver Glasner’s incredible tenure, having already lifted both the FA Cup and Community Shield in the last 12 months.

For Rayo, Madrid’s third club, it is a first major final of any kind as they continue to defy the odds both in Spain and on the continent.

Kick-off at the Red Bull Arena is at 8pm BST, so stay with us for match build-up, team news and live game updates.