Rayo Vallecano Still Aiming To Make Conference League Final History Against Crystal Palace

Augusto Batalla insists Rayo Vallecano still have work to do as the Conference League final against Crystal Palace approaches on Wednesday in Leipzig, where the Spanish side chase a first European trophy and a Europa League place after finishing eighth in LaLiga and missing qualification through domestic standings.

Rayo arrive in Germany on a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, with six wins and three draws building confidence before facing Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace at the Red Bull Arena, yet Batalla stresses that this strong sequence only increases the responsibility to deliver on the biggest stage.

Rayo secured the trip to Leipzig by defeating Ligue 1 club Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals, a controlled two-leg performance that continued an impressive European record of 14 victories, three draws and five defeats from 22 major continental fixtures, producing a 64% win rate, the highest for any team with at least 20 European matches.

This will be Crystal Palace’s 15th game in major European competition and Rayo’s 23rd, a combined total of 38, which is the lowest number of matches between two finalists in a significant UEFA showpiece since the 1964-65 Cup Winners’ Cup, when West Ham had played nine games and TSV 1860 Munich 10.

English clubs already have a strong link with the Conference League final, as two of the four previous editions have gone to Premier League sides, with West Ham lifting the trophy in the 2022-23 season and Chelsea winning the 2024-25 competition, while Real Betis remain the only Spanish team to reach the decisive match before Rayo.

Real Betis faced Chelsea last season and lost, so Rayo now carry the chance to become the first Spanish winners of this tournament, while also trying to extend an unbeaten run that covers league and Europe and has underpinned belief inside a squad that Batalla describes as experienced and hardened by years in the game.

"It’s starting to sink in that we’re going to have the chance to play in a final," Batalla told UEFA.com. "Doing so with this club isn’t easy at all, given all the day-to-day demands and all the difficulties we face. We’re a group of relatively senior players, by European standards. In fact, we’re the squad with the oldest players, and that means we’ve been through a lot in our lives."

"After the referee blew the whistle [in the semi-final against Strasbourg] and we knew we were on our way to Leipzig, there was a bit of a sense of relief, of saying: 'Well, we’ve got this far,' but I also saw something in the group that I loved, and that’s the feeling that the job isn’t finished yet."

Conference League final preparation, mentality and form

"That’s very important ahead of the match against Crystal Palace. When you get the chancebecause there are plenty of people out there who go their whole careers without ever playing in a finalwe have to make the most of it." Batalla explains that this awareness shapes Rayo’s mindset for Leipzig.

"There’s no doubt it’s my best sporting moment. I feel great physically, I feel great mentally, I’m in top form, and hopefully I can finish the year in the best possible way and see what the future holds for the coming years." The goalkeeper highlights personal momentum that mirrors his team’s unbeaten stretch.

Rayo’s historic opportunity comes under the guidance of Inigo Perez, who will be 38 years and 129 days old on the day of the final, making Perez the youngest Spanish coach to manage a major European final since Pep Guardiola led Barcelona to a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Stadio Olimpico in 2009, at exactly the same age.

The Red Bull Arena hosts Rayo’s first European final, where victory would secure a Europa League place for next season despite missing out via LaLiga, and with Crystal Palace contesting only a 15th major European game, both clubs approach Leipzig as relative newcomers looking to add a new chapter to their continental records.