Groups confirmed for Convention League last
Historical past beckons in Leipzig as Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano go head-to-head within the 2026 Convention League last.
For each golf equipment, this marks their first-ever look in a significant European last, providing a golden alternative to elevate their maiden worldwide trophy and safe a coveted ticket to subsequent season’s Europa League.
Whereas the Eagles’ Premier League kind tailed off in direction of the top of the marketing campaign to complete fifteenth, Oliver Glasner’s males have saved their best performances for the continent.
Having already guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, the departing Austrian supervisor can be determined to log off his memorable Palace tenure with one other piece of European silverware so as to add to final 12 months’s historic FA Cup and Neighborhood Defend triumphs.
Standing of their method is a extremely motivated Rayo Vallecano facet led by Iñigo Pérez. Very similar to Palace, Los Franjirrojos have relied on a fiercely passionate fanbase and an intense, combative taking part in identification to punch effectively above their weight on the European stage.
Earlier than this season Rayo’s greatest run in Europe was a quarter-final within the 2001 UEFA Cup.
Right here’s how the perimeters line up:
Crystal Palace workforce information
Jean-Philippe Mateta will get the nod to begin in assault as Chris Richards misses out in defence. America worldwide is just on the bench.
Adam Wharton, who was a doubt, is match sufficient to begin.
Palace XI: Henderson, Riad, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell, Sarr, Pino, Mateta
Rayo Vallecano workforce information
Rayo XI: Batalla; Rațiu, Lejeune, Pathé Ciss, Chavarría; Valentín, Unai López; Álvaro García, Isi Palazón, De Frutos; Alemao.
The place to observe Palace v Rayo: TV channel, stay on-line streams
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Reside TV protection within the UK is on TNT Sports activities 1 and TNT Sports activities Final.
Streaming is on the HBO Max app. TNT Sports activities prices £30.99 a month and is out there on an enormous vary of gadgets together with sensible TVs and gaming consoles.
Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano stats
- That is Palace’s second season in European competitors and first since their 1998 Intertoto Cup marketing campaign, shedding 2-0 residence and away towards Samsunspor within the third spherical
- Palace are the third English membership – all from London – to achieve the Convention League last, after West Ham (2022/23) and Chelsea (2024/25), who each went on to elevate the trophy
- They’re aiming to change into the twelfth totally different English membership to win a significant UEFA males’s membership competitors after Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Ipswich, Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and West Ham
- The Eagles have misplaced solely three of their 16 Convention League matches this season (W9 D4)
- With 25 targets, Palace are the highest scorers on this season’s Convention League (league part to last) and have three greater than nearest rivals Rayo Vallecano (22)
- Ismaila Sarr has scored in Palace’s final 5 Convention League matches (six targets in complete) and is the highest scorer within the competitors correct this season with 9 targets
- Yeremy Pino was the youngest Spanish participant to begin a significant European last, aged 18 years 218 days, when he gained the 2020/21 Europa League with Villarreal
- Daichi Kamada scored within the penalty shoot-out as Eintracht Frankfurt beat Rangers within the 2021/22 Europa League last
- Rayo Vallecano have misplaced solely 4 of their final 20 European matches (W14 D2)
- Their solely earlier European marketing campaign took them to the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, shedding to fellow Spanish facet Alaves 4-2 on combination (3-0 away, 2-1 at residence)
- Which means they’ve reached their first UEFA last of their second season of European competitors
- Actual Betis turned the primary Spanish workforce to achieve the Convention League last, shedding 1-4 to Chelsea final season
- Rayo coach Inigo Perez got here on instead as Athletic Membership misplaced 3-0 to Atletico Madrid within the 2011/12 Europa League last
- In his first UEFA marketing campaign in cost, Perez may change into the second Spanish coach to win the Convention League after Jose Luis Mendilibar’s 2023/24 triumph with Olympiacos
- Brazilian ahead Alemao scored the one aim in every leg of Rayo’s semi-final towards Strasbourg, in what was the primary assembly between Spanish and French groups within the Convention League correct
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