Crystal Palace 1-0 Rayo Vallecano: Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half rebound was enough for the Eagles to oust their Spanish opponents and win the conference league.
Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta scores the opening goal (Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
Forget the freedom of Croydon – Oliver Glasner has now firmly entered the realm of statues.
Crystal Palace once again experienced boundless joy as tears of joy flowed from jubilant sons, proud mothers and ecstatic fathers on a magical night in East Germany.
It was rather fitting that Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose bid to join AC Milan was scrapped on deadline day in January due to a knee problem, capped off a remarkable comeback with a goal.
Continental football, let alone glory, had long been a pipe dream in the streets around Selhurst Park. This remarkable victory was made all the more sweet by shattering the glass ceiling in Leipzig, the epicenter of multi-club ownership in Europe, following last summer’s disastrous UEFA ruling.
Join us on Facebook! For the latest news, analysis and more on our Mirror Football Facebook page
Even outgoing coach Glasner, the brains behind this brilliance, could not have imagined what has happened over the past 12 months. After lifting three trophies and qualifying for the Europa League, one begins to wonder if a generation of supporters will ever wake up. The fast-rising Eagles became the first team to win a silver medal on their first trip to Europe since KV Mechelen won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1988. Rayo Vallecano were unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, but it was a miracle that they reached the final.
Last August, the referee was unable to check Barcelona’s controversial penalty on the VAR monitor at the Vallecas stadium due to a lack of electricity. And in early February, players and staff signed a letter to the Spanish Football Players Association expressing concerns about the team’s poor facilities, including a “defective” home ground and cold showers.
Oliver Glassner will leave Crystal Palace this summer (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The club shop, which was incredibly closed on a Tuesday morning, is very small and operates on a 1 in, 1 out policy. Rayo embodies the working class left-wing local community and plays for the people.
But Palace, whose backline is worth more than Vallecano’s entire squad, according to Transfermarkt, ultimately proved too much.
Indispensable centre-back Chris Richards was not fit to start due to an ankle injury, but Adam Wharton won the race against time. Glassner’s medical staff was working hard to treat both players at the team hotel late Tuesday night.
The first flashpoint came when Pate Sis awkwardly tapped Elemy Pino on the ball that Wharton clipped behind Rayo. Referee Maurizio Mariani called a yellow and Palace wanted more.
Crystal Palace UEFA Conference League Winners 2025/26 Souvenir Edition
In our special edition, Oliver Glasner tells the full story of Palace’s success as he took over as manager with the trophy. Packed with features, interviews and stunning photography that tell the story of the club’s great campaign. Order your copy here
Wharton’s superb left-spike stroke gave the Reds the lead again in first-half stoppage time when Tyrik Mitchell somehow managed to head the ball wide of the target. Five minutes after the interval, England’s midfield technician, who was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, scored the opening goal. His long-range attack was evaded by Augusto Batala and Mateta thanked him with the rebound.
Pinot’s free-kick hit both posts, almost making it 2-0, when Mateta and the defender combined to shake the crate again, but the Frenchman was ruled offside.
Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Crystal Palace the lead early in the second half (Image: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Rayo turned the screw but a resolute Palace dug deep and held on. Glasner was absolutely delighted, it was the perfect farewell.
He looked like a dead man in January, following the humiliation of National League North side Macclesfield in the third round of the FA Cup and the defeat to Sunderland. But this box office-grossing film wasn’t supposed to end there. Now, he steps down on a high note, providing the next manager (Andoni Iraola is the favorite) with solid footing. The problem is that Mr. Glasner’s successor faces an impossible task: he will never surpass the legend.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of those live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
