C Palace 1 – 0 R Vallecano

Crystal Palace defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring the winner to give Oliver Glasner the perfect farewell.

Glasner has overseen the most successful spell in Palace’s history, leaving the Eagles with their first European trophy after winning the FA Cup and Community Shield all within the last 12 months.

Palace will now have the chance to achieve more success as they look forward to Europa League football next season.

Mateta, himself, goes from zero to hero in the space of six months after expressing a desire to leave in the January window, before remaining at the club after a transfer failed to materialise.

In a game of few chances until the second half, Mateta instinctively gobbled up a rebound after Adam Wharton’s strike from range tested Augusto Batalla in the Rayo goal.

Until that point, Palace fans were hoping they would not live to rue Tyrick Mitchell’s missed sitter on the brink of half-time. The Eagles academy graduate squandered a superb Wharton cross, heading wide from close range.

Many would argue, beyond those chances, that Rayo were the better side, having enjoyed the greater possession throughout. However, it was Palace who could have pulled further in front in a dominant spell after Mateta had broken the deadlock.

Yeremy Pino will not forget his superb free-kick from outside the area that hit both posts before Mateta hit the upright trying to clean up the scraps.

Another chance fell the way of Mateta shortly after, but on this occasion Batalla came out on top with a superb save.

Rayo then sparked into life, but the Spanish side, who finished eighth in LaLiga and were on a run of nine games without a loss, failed to test Dean Henderson across the 90 minutes and added time.

Palace secure Europa League football the hard way, after being denied a spot in the competition last summer due to UEFA ownership rules. However, very few will complain now, other than Glasner’s successor, who will have to live up to the lofty heights of European glory in SE25.

More to follow…

What’s next?

Already thinking about the 2026/27 Premier League season?

There’s a World Cup to fit in first – follow live blogs of every game on the Sky Sports App – but the key dates are locked in for next term, when Sky Sports will once again show at least 215 live Premier League games.

Here’s your summer diary:

June 11: World Cup starts – day-by-day fixture list
June 14: Scotland’s opener vs Haiti (2am)
June 15: Summer transfer window opens
June 17: England’s opener vs Croatia (9pm)
June 19: Premier League fixtures released (10am)
July 19: World Cup final
August 22-23: Premier League opening weekend
August 27: Champions League league phase draw
September 1: Transfer Deadline Day (window closes at 11pm UK time)
September 8-10: Champions League matchday 1
May 30, 2027: Premier League final day