Crystal Palace have won their first European trophy as the Eagles beat Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig to win the Conference League thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s winner
Crystal Palace’s dream year continues as the Eagles lifted a third trophy in 12 months as Oliver Glasner bowed out in style by landing the club’s first-ever European trophy in the Conference League final.
The Eagles will see a summer of change with Glasner having taken charge of his final game in Leipzig, but Jean Philippe Mateta also delivered a potentially priceless parting gift when he turned home the winning goal in the 50th minute as speculation swirls again that the Frenchman could find a new club this summer.
History beckoned for both clubs as the two finalists walked out for their first European final in their respective histories. While the Conference League has been poo-pooed as a major competition by fans of the biggest clubs, the atmosphere in Leipzig showed just how much it meant to both sides.
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But just like the Europa League final, it was the English side who were too strong as Palace moved through the gears in the second half.
The opening 45 went by without a shot on target, with the best chance of the half falling onto the head of Tyrick Mitchell from Adam Wharton’s pinpoint cross, but the defender was very much the wrong man in the right place as he headed wide when it looked easier to find the target.
Wharton was the class act on the pitch and the moments for Palace in front of goal came through the in-demand midfielder.
The 22-year-old could be on the move in the summer with Manchester United and Liverpool among the clubs interested in his signature. Wednesday’s final could well be the last glimpse Palace fans get of him in a red and blue shirt but his impact will live on in their memory.
Fresh off scoring his first Palace goal in his 95th appearance for the Eagles, Wharton was allowed way too much space from a Vallecano point of view and let fly from 25 yards out. His stinging effort was parried by Augusto Batalla only as far as Mateta, who had to react quickly to get contact on the ball and turn it into the back of the net.
Palace’s breakthrough came on the 50th minute mark and after a barren first-half it looked as though it would be the chance that would decide the game.
The travelling Palace fans behind the goal erupted into celebrations with limbs and bodies flying over seats and into the rows below.
It’s been a dream year for the Selhurst Park club, from winning the FA Cup last May and lifting their first-ever piece of silverware to returning to Wembley three months later to beat Manchester City in the Community Shield final, trophies are seemingly becoming part of Palace’s DNA – or more likely, Glasner’s.
The Austrian bows out from Palace without the same level of fanfare he was enjoying months ago thanks to the form and football of Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth and Michael Carrick’s resurgence at United, closing a door to a top six club in the Premier League.
Glasner’s next destination will be an intriguing one, but so will Wharton’s with the midfielder valued between £60million-£80m. With no World Cup in the summer after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s side, Wharton will seemingly be in no rush to decide his future unlike those heading to North America in the coming days.
The current chapter of this Palace squad boasting the likes of Glasner, Wharton, Mateta, as well as the departed Marc Guehi, looks to be coming to an end.
But the new man at the helm and the summer recruits can look forward to playing in the Europa League, finally getting justice for UEFA’s decision to demote them to the third-tier competition for breaching multi-club ownership rules last summer.