Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano

i backed palace in the outrights antepost COYP

la liga is nowhere near as competitive as the prem. palace rightly favs

I was looking at injuries for the PL season measured by most missed player match days.  Tottenham had the most (obv done rubbish) but the top 5 also included Newcastle Liverpool Chelsea (all also done very badly this season) and CP, which was a shock to me.  Out of the five teams that have had the most injuries they are the only one not to have significantly under performed.  So imo Palace have done very well this season. 

Just going on match odds throughout the tournament Palace are around 0.6 goals a game better than Vallecano.  I've been following Vallecano a little in the ECL as I had them in a Fantasy team.  They've been very average although have improved.  I'd be more inclined to back Palace at evens than lay them at evens, but backed them at 9/2 and 5/1 very early on for the tournament

Incidentally West Ham and Leeds had the least injuries, so there is no doubt imo that West Ham fully deserved to be relegated

Off at a tangent a bit but I was told the year Leicester won the PL they had the least injuries, and Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool had the most.  They have a huge negative impact on your season, but get very little credence in the media

maddison fit 17th
maddison unfit 17th

Good luck tonight Slippy!

I have a similar opinion top you susq, I posted this is another thread last week. RV's unbeaten run is now 9 though as they won again on Saturday.

"Anyone else think that the Europa Conference Final is more even than the odds suggest? Odds on Palace and 3/1 Rayo Vallecano.

RV are unbeaten in 8. They won the semi-final 2-0 on aggregate, but the highlights show they created loads of chances and only poor finishing/good goalkeeping prevented a much bigger score line. The commentator referred to them as being 'experts' at corners.

Earlier in the year they beat Athletico 3-0 and only lost 0-1 at Barca and 1-2 at Real Madrid, so a decent level of league form.

Palace aren't world beaters either are they? 3/1 seems a decent price about RV in 90 minutes"

There's a disturbing drift on Palace currently... But I'm sticking with them.

Good-Luck Palace..

think the drify is just reflecting the plunge on the draw. 3.6 yesterday avo, now into 3.25

Off at a tangent a bit but I was told the year Leicester won the PL they had the least injuries, and Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool had the most.  They have a huge negative impact on your season, but get very little credence in the media

15 pelanties helps too.

Good luck palace, (ex Newcastle player at rayo, florian lejeune,)

Vardy was a master at winning penalties.  Won one for Cremonese that prolly should have been overruled by VAR at the weekend

X2 looks the bet,,,,,

everyone in England thinks Palace are FAVS because we know them so well
everyone in Spain thinks Vallecano are FAVS because they know them so well

it's insular thinking but objectively, I fail to see how Palace are such firm favs.

the Spanish will look at Palace in 15th and find it laughable they're favs, given they know they got results against all the best sides in Spain, beat Strasbourg as well who topped the group stage, got past tricky Greek champions and a Turkish side, this is no gimmie.

2.22 now and I'm starting to feel uneasy... Money rarely tells lies..

I'm hopeful but not in any way confident.

It would be absolutely wonderful if we did manage to win though, fairy tale stuff really.

I've no financial interest involved but vast amounts of hope and wishful thinking.

COYP.

I've watched Rayo a couple of times, including a 1-0 defeat to Barca (over a year ago now, but much the same team) in which they created good chances and were robbed by a bad decision after a goal ruled offside, imho. Rayo Vallecano move the ball well and look a tidy outfit. De Frutas is dangerous and will need to be watched quite closely. I've backed Palace, and I think they will win, but don't think it will be as straightforward as UK pundits seem to think. 2-1 or 1-1 and Palace to win on pens is my guess.

Slippy know better
I get feeling place
Had season to forget
With off field issues
Manger players
Still been ok in league
Probably not try in lot games after being in Europe either
I ain’t fooled I think palace are good outfit
With out beach shoes on
I’ve bet 2-0 nile comfortable night
Putting more treasure in once empty cabinet

Hope you're right Fattie.

Butterflies in the stomach right now......

Hope I don't bok it but this has got the makings of
a good game.

Bookies say no goals

Rayo are better than I was expecting. Palace could really do with an early goal to set them on their way.

I'm unconvinced that this is a real trophy but I'm shouting for Palace here.

It’s very messy this game

Can’t get going both sides

didn't take long for the draw to be fav, told you they were a good side, can't get results against the top 4 in Spain unless you have something about you.

Who good ?

Woeful both teams

May 27, 2026 -- 8:46PM, FATTIEWHITEYSLOVEADRINK wrote:

Who good ?

Real Volcano.

Should score there.

Open goal pen

Palace up the tempo
At end here about time
Ffs been poor

What a borefest finals not worth watching or betting on

Im turning off just not good enough

That was a dreadful miss tbh.

nearly all finals are tense, should just expect it, no point complaining about it....too much on the line, trophy and Europa Leauge qualification, it's like the Champs Play off finals, nearly always less than 3 goals, only 2 games in the last 25 years have had more than 3 goals.

What do you expect from players who can only run fast

A gift from the keeper.

Rayo a bit dirty with some of their play, player sending off incoming.

Palace could bring on some fresh legs soon, put this game to bed..

1-0!!

What's going on with Brennan Johnson? He's not a very good player but I thought he'd be decent at Palace.

Spurs fans weren't very complimentary about him.  Nevertheless 2 winners medals in successive seasons for him and Sancho. 

Palace were the better team tonight.

Rayo never looked liked scoring.  Palace won a tad cosily just doing enuff

Don’t even palace where that great but didn’t need. To be
Golf in leagues is huge

Well done Palace, deserved win, the match was pants and Rayo wouldn't have scored if they'd played until next week, but you can only beat what's in front of you

Some daft doris on TNT (lucy ward ?) says it tops the FA Cup win for Palace, surely not !

Pleasing to see Mateta score and Wharton get booked to contribute to my winning 17/1 bet builder, cheers lads

Comments on here saying Spanish side where ok
Like to know what game that was ?

May 27, 2026 -- 10:04PM, DixieDean60 wrote:

Well done Palace, deserved win, the match was pants and Rayo wouldn't have scored if they'd played until next week, but you can only beat what's in front of you Some daft doris on TNT (lucy ward ?) says it tops the FA Cup win for Palace, surely not !Pleasing to see Mateta score and Wharton get booked to contribute to my winning 17/1 bet builder, cheers lads

The FA Cup and Europa League are multiple times more prestigious than this made-up Europa Conference tin pot.  Well done to Palace anyway.

It was an awful Conference League this season.  Definitely easier to win too after the Europa League pathway was kyboshed.

Yeah Palace comfortable really, even if Rayo had more of the ball, expected more penetration from Rayo, but little real threat.

Is their kit paying homage to Peru's 1970 World Cup team with the diagonal red stripe?

If the bookies want to go 9/2 and 5/1 on Brighton next season ... YES PLEASE

Well done Palace.

Clydebank - The likes of Ajax, Monaco, Braga, Copenhagen amongst others are in next years competition, looks a bit more competitive than this year at first glance.

Fair do's DD, it does  Atalanta too is a step up.  Brighton better than Palace and clearly the team to beat though.

Yes Atalanta will be one of the favs you would think, even though their form tailed off a bit this season. Makes it even more competitive !

May 27, 2026 -- 10:40PM, DixieDean60 wrote:

Yes Atalanta will be one of the favs you would think, even though their form tailed off a bit this season. Makes it even more competitive !

Time for Everton to step up, Dixie. They're a big club but I can't even remember the last time they played in Europe.

Once Palace upped their game 2nd half, it exposed Rayo, who really didn't have much at all. 3:0 would have been a fairer reflection. FA Cup final win beating Man City was far better...

Congratulations Crystal Palace, this is a period you'll never forget and one you may even build upon. Pleased for you Slippy. Enjoy!

Now in the Europa, the cup you should have had all along. The journey continues...

Time for Everton to step up, Dixie. They're a big club but I can't even remember the last time they played in Europe.

Quite right Sofa, there was no real excuse for the drop off in form over the last two months by the toffees. I didn't expect them to really challenge for Europe last season but after stuffing Chelsea 3-0 at the end of March they were in pole position to qualify.  But that was their last victory of the campaign They were robbed by VAR not giving pens against the Hammers and City, but unusually poor defending at the death in 3 consecutive games cost them dear. Next season they have to do better. Something which also applies to Spurs of course

The last time they actually played in Europe was 2017/18, since when it has been a merry-go-round of managers and relegation battles. Hopefully with stability comes more success on the pitch, something else which applies to your boys !

If the table was based on XG Sunderland and Hull would have both been relegated!

May 28, 2026 -- 11:59AM, DixieDean60 wrote:

Time for Everton to step up, Dixie. They're a big club but I can't even remember the last time they played in Europe.Quite right Sofa, there was no real excuse for the drop off in form over the last two months by the toffees. I didn't expect them to really challenge for Europe last season but after stuffing Chelsea 3-0 at the end of March they were in pole position to qualify.

There's no comparison though, Dixie. Spurs have won stuff in the last 30 years and regularly appear in the Champions League and Europa. Everton on the other hand should be doing a hell of a lot better for a club of their stature.....

A couple of League Cups and a Europey League victory is not exactly a golden haul i would warrant Sofa

The toffees have won nine league titles in their history, by comparison Spurs only two - surely they should have won more for a club of their standing ?
After all both clubs were founded in the 19th century .

The simple fact is both of our clubs have suffered at times due to appalling management at the top. It's very difficult to recover from some of that and then compete for trophies. Everything revolves around money these days unfortunately and that ain't changing anytime soon.

Talking of money, interesting article on Prem clubs and Europe on the bbc website :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9v32ydpvr2o

Never said anything about a "golden haul" ffs. I'm talking about recent history obviously. The seventies and eighties were a completely different era. If clubs such as Palace, B'mouth, Brighton etc can qualify for Europe, then why can't Everton.

Sense of humour required sofa History is important and not just the last few decades.

Qualifying for Europe is no longer the achievement it once was (of course that probably makes Everton's failure to do so even worse). But if nearly half of the EPL is competing in Europe it devalues the competitions imo. Everton did qualify for Europe six times between 2005 and 2017, so they are no strangers to doing so.

But the lack of success over the past 30 years can be traced back to the mid 80s when the most successful side in our history was denied competing in the European Cup due to the appalling antics of the fans of our illustrious neighbours. The squad was slowly broken up and what followed from the 90s onwards was a catalogue of mismanagement at board level together with dreadful appointments and the signing of average (at best) players. We have never fully recovered from those days, and with the focus now on who has the most money being the most successful ,  rather than those who can use skill and nous to sign players to mould in to a team (like Kendall did for EFC in the 80s for instance), we have been left behind and it is an almost impossible hill to climb to get back to where we once were.


Did you read that article btw ?  One thing i learned from it was that Palace generated 4 times the revenue of their opponents the other night (Rayo V). Their revenue was way above any other side in the competition and so they really should have been winning it. Not exactly the "fairy story" that the media were painting it when you look at things in the cold light of day. Good luck to Palace of course, but a dose of realism never hurts.

Once our clubs come up against a few European sides in the Champions League knockout stages, such as RM and PSG , who can actually compete with ours financially, they don't fare too well do they ? Arsenal of course have a chance to improve the EPL's record tomorrow night, but if PSG are on form then we know who the likely winners are

Tottenham were 9th in Deloittes Money League last year (£585m), which by today's metrics means they are massive underachievers and certainly a lot more so than Everton who were in 24th place with £204m revenue. All of the other clubs in the top ten are serial trophy winners.

Tottenham are dining out on past glories. Never won PL, 65 years since last 1st Div win (only won it twice), 35 years since last FA Cup win and 18 years since last LC win. Can't be many still alive who saw them win a league title. Quite good record in Europe tbf, except the big one of course. Doubt there are many young fans coming through as kids wouldn't choose to support unsuccessful teams.