All you need to know about the Conference League final

ByKatharine Sharpe

BBC Sport senior journalist

Crystal Palace will take on Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on Wednesday in Leipzig, Germany.

Palace had technically qualified for this season's Europa League following their 2024-25 FA Cup victory, but were demoted to the Conference League for breaching multi-club ownership rules.

Victory in the final would bring a positive end to an otherwise disappointing season for the Eagles.

Their bid to defend their FA cup title was ended in the third round of the competition by National League North side Macclesfield, who shocked the title holders with a 2-1 victory.

Palace finished 15th in the Premier League on Sunday, while Rayo Vallecano finished eighth in La Liga.

Here is all you need to know before the two sides meet on Wednesday night.

The 47,800-capacity Red Bull Arena, home to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, will host the final, which kicks off at 20:00 BST.

It was built as a new stadium on the site of the existing, 100,000-capacity Zentralstadion, with the reconstruction taking place from 2000-2004.

Now the 15th-largest capacity stadium in Germany, it was used as a venue for group-stage and last-16 matches in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2024.

Stadiums for major European finals are selected by Uefa, with football associations able to bid for their chance to host.

ByPrudent Nsengiyumva

Sport journalist

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano have taken very different routes to the final, but the numbers suggest a tight contest between two of the competition's most dangerous attacking sides.

Both teams have scored freely and won eight matches or ties on their way to Leipzig. They also have identical defensive records - five clean sheets and 12 goals conceded - underlining how little separates them.

Palace reached the final as the competition's most productive attacking side. Their 25-goal tally is the highest in this season's Conference League, and no team has taken more shots or hit the target more often.

The numbers behind those chances tell the same story. Palace's expected goals figure of 31.3 is the best in the tournament, showing how often they work the ball into dangerous areas rather than relying on hopeful efforts.

Their run has been built on pressure. Oliver Glasner's side play on the front foot, create plenty of chances and force goalkeepers into regular action. Six goals from set-pieces add another layer to their threat, giving them a reliable outlet when open play becomes tight.

Their attacking firepower has carried them through the knockout rounds and remains their clearest route to the first European trophy in the club's history.

Rayo Vallecano rank just behind Palace in most attacking metrics - 22 goals, 204 shots and 70 efforts on target - but their efficiency stands out.

Their expected goals total of 20.1 is only the seventh-highest in the competition, yet they have outscored almost everyone. That gap between chance quality and output shows a side that makes the most of the moments they create.

Where Palace overwhelm teams, Rayo punish mistakes. They have earned two penalties in the competition - compared to Palace's one spot-kick - and their finishing has kept them in every tie. Set-pieces have been a smaller part of their armoury, with five goals from dead‑ball situations, but they remain a threat when chances arrive.

With two sides who attack in different ways but defend with similar discipline, the final may come down to one decisive moment.