Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano predictions: Rayito may ground the Eagles dream
Enda McElhinney
Both clubs are appearing in a maiden European final in only their second campaigns
Palace and Rayo are the competition's top-scoring teams this season
Recommended bet: Rayo Vallecano to win @ 3/1 with LiveScore Bet
Oliver Glasner will be aiming for a fitting farewell to his time as Crystal Palace boss with a second major trophy in 12 months when they face Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig.
The Austrian will say goodbye to the Eagles after this game and, having won the FA Cup last May, has a chance to end on another silver-laden moment.
Rayo Vallecano are appearing in their first major final of any description at the end of just their second season in continental competition.
The LaLiga outfit have mixed a good domestic season with their European adventure, finishing just one point outside the top seven in Spain.
Palace, meanwhile, finished 15th in the Premier League and found goals hard to come by in that environment.
The latest Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Glasner is hoping for good news on England international Adam Wharton after the midfielder left the pitch against Arsenal with an ankle injury just 16 minutes after coming on as a sub.
He is expected to be fit, but Chris Richards (ankle) and Borna Sosa (unspecified) are big doubts for Palace, who must plan without both Cheick Doucoure and Eddie Nketiah.
The final domestic game also brought concerns for Rayo as winger Carlos Martin (back) went off in the 2-1 win at Alaves.
Ilias Akhomach and Diego Mendez are rated doubtful, while Luiz Felipe (muscle) misses out. Isi Palazon has been serving a domestic ban but is available for this crunch clash.
The latest Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The stats
Crystal Palace are winless in their last four games (D2, L2), though the Eagles have six wins and three draws in 10 Conference League games.
Rayo Vallecano are on a nine match unbeaten run, with six wins and three draws.
Ismaila Sarr has scored in each of his last five Conference League appearances and is the competition's leading scorer with nine.
Brazilian forward Alemao scored both of Vallecano's goals in their 1-0 semi-final wins against Strasbourg.
All of Crystal Palace's last eight game featured at least three goals, whereas only one of Vallecano's last seven has gone over 2.5 goals.
Both teams have scored in just one of Rayo's last five continental games.
The latest Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Recent form must be a worry for Glasner ahead of his final game as Palace boss. The semi-final successes against Shakhtar Donetsk are their only wins in the last 10 games across all competitions.
Their Madrid-based opponents, meanwhile, have gone nine games without a reverse since losing to AEK Athens in the quarter-final second leg in Greece.
They fell just short in the quest for a top-seven LaLiga finish despite beating Villarreal (finished third) and Alaves in their final two games.
Rayo have managed four shutouts in the last seven games and they face a Palace side with no clean sheets in eight.
The likes of Alemao, Alvaro Garcia, Sergio Camello and Palazon give Rayo an array of goalscoring potential and their recent meanness at the back is a worry for Palace, the Premier League's lowest scorers bar the bottom two.
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Rayo Vallecano
