At the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig the Londoners won 1-0 and won their first international trophy. It is the third victory for a Premier team in five editions
In the unprecedented European challenge between two neighborhood teams from Madrid and London, the Crystal Palace of Selhurst, south-east of the English capital, a wooded area full of willows and also abundant with Caribbean and African populations, prevails. He won his first European trophy in his first final. Rayo was also on his first ride until the last continental act. In the end, individual quality prevailed, that of Wharton and Mateta, for example, of a team that still finished in 15th place in the Premier League but is worth 5 times their Spanish opponents in terms of salary and value of squads. The decision was made by the Frenchman from Sevran, a Parisian suburb, Jean-Philippe Mateta, 29 years old at the end of June, long (in)followed by Milan and Juve, valued at 30 million, a transfer operation then slowed down due to a knee problem of the Frenchman. Instead he ended the season with 16 goals, last night’s goal being just his third in the Conference League. The Frenchman’s seal came in the 6th minute of the second half on a shot from Wharton – the 22-year-old from Blackburn was the best on the pitch -, he rejected the Argentine goalkeeper Batalla and the French center forward was there, always well placed, Ciss anticipated, he was a hawk on the prey: 1-0.
Trophies and dominance
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The Austrian manager Oliver Glasner, 51 years old, bids farewell to Palace with three trophies (also the FA Cup and the 2024-25 Community Shield). And it doubles the success of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in the Europa League. Now the Premier League is rooting for Arsenal, the fresh national champion, expected on Saturday in Budapest against PSG, the reigning champion, to finish with the Treble or Treble. English dominance is becoming more and more evident, even if last year Luis Enrique put all the English-speaking rivals in line.
Premises
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Crystal Palace – Fiorentina’s punishers in the quarter-finals – have English midfielder Adam Wharton back, despite being replaced due to injury against Arsenal at the weekend. Wharton is fundamental in closing and to restart the Palace. And even from the front, we’ll see. While defender Richards didn’t make it and is on the bench. The Rayo of the 38-year-old Spanish coach Inigo Perez, former deputy of Iraola who also grew up in Marcelo Bielsa’s Athletic, has recovered Akhomach but he is on the bench and instead the captain Oscar Valentin is starting in the middle. And so the Senegalese Pathe Ciss was dropped into the central pair of defenders but immediately received a yellow card for a slow intervention and on the contrary would be decisive in letting Mateta slip away when he scored. Perez also chooses Alvaro Garcia for the Moroccan Akhomach. Rayo must also win to secure a European ticket for next year given that they finished the La Liga in 8th place, 1 point behind Getafe’s qualification.
Match
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At the beginning we often play with long balls to overcome the midfield and find the wingers, and crosses into the area which are easily read by the defence. There is a lot of tension, very noisy fans. And the two best attacks in this Conference find no outlets. In the 25th minute there was the first shot towards the Rayo goal, on a cross from the left by Chavarría, a left-footed touch by the Brazilian Alemao, who volleyed but just wide. The Spaniards begin to take possession of the pitch, they end the half with 58% possession, Palace limits themselves to counterattacks. Palace’s best chance came in the first stoppage time: a cross from the right from the usual Wharton and Mitchell’s diving header sent it just wide.
Recovery
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The Palace gets off to a flying start immediately. Mateta’s goal in the 6th minute. In the 11th minute, English Canarian Pino’s free kick hits two posts, after all, Palace have taken 15 woodwork in this Conference, more than anyone else. And after 30″ it’s Batalla who saves from the Frenchman still served in the center by Pino. Rayo in the storm, the Londoners try to close it out. Then Perez’s substitutions. Garcia breaks through on the left but Lacroix saves, Palazon shoots high from the left with a free kick and Alemão kicks out with his last breath with his right. The dream of the Pirates of Vallecas is shattered here. Palace triumphs.
the match
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Crystal Palace, clear favourites, plays the final against the fairy tale Rayo Vallecano. The English reach the final stage after eliminating AEK Larnaca, Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals. The Spaniards, however, eliminated Samunspor, AEK Athens and Strasbourg on their way. Crystal Palace ended their season in the Premier League in 15th place while Rayo 8th in La Liga, just outside the zone needed to qualify again in the Conference. But if he won tonight, the doors to the Europa League would be thrown open.
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