- Key statistics ahead of Conference League final
- Spanish teams’ incredible form in finals
- A concerning trend for Palace?
Crystal Palace will play in their first European final next Wednesday, as they face Madrid based Rayo Vallecano. The Spanish side have never played in a final either domestically or in European competition.
Palace have a chance to win their first ever European trophy and secure a second consecutive campaign of European football by winning the Conference League final in Leipzig.
Whilst Palace go into the game as favourites, Vallecano have a slight advantage underlying their talent as a squad themselves.
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Spanish superiority
Until last Summer, when Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final, Spanish clubs and the Spanish national team had won 26 consecutive finals.
Betis’ loss ended a run spanning almost 25 years.
In 2001, Liverpool beat Alavés 5-4 in the UEFA Cup Final. Within the same week, Bayern Munich won the Champions League, beating Valencia 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in full time.
Every single final since then, the Spanish side has won, until last Summer’s Conference League.
That includes 10 Champions Leagues, with Real Madrid winning seven and Barcelona winning three of those.
Twelve of those finals were in the Europa League, the trophies shared between Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia.
The Spanish national team have won their last four finals, including the 2010 World Cup and three European Championships, in 2008, 2012 and of course the 2024 win over England.
Four Spanish sides were beaten in that run, but of course those defeats came against fellow Spanish sides.
English sides taking control
Whilst Spain have clearly held a firm grip over defining games, it appears as if the tide may be turning, at least in UEFA’s second and third tier competitions.
The financial superiority of the Premier League is resulting in a clear advantage in these competitions.
Aston Villa breezed past Freiburg in the Europe’s League final last week, beating the German side 3-0.
Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Betis followed West Ham’s Conference League win over Fiorentina, who Palace beat in the quarter finals on their route to Leipzig.
Palace are certainly favourites, but Vallecano are no slouches. They kept two clean sheets across their semi final against Strasbourg, who beat Palace 3-1 in the league phase.
Vallecano are also 8th in LaLiga, and can finish in the top seven with a win on the final day against Alavés.
For Palace, there’s nothing to play for in a final day fixture against newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
Vallecano have two extra days rest ahead of the final in Leipzig, with Palace having just two days off between the final league game and the meeting between the two sides.
It will also be the first time that Palace have ever faced Spanish opposition in a competitive fixture, and likewise the first time that Vallecano have faced an English side.
This is truly a one-of-a-kind final, and a chance for both clubs to make history for themselves.
