Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano are playing for the Conference League title on 27 May 2026 at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, with Andrei Rațiu in the Rayo side from the start. The Romanian defender lines up on the right of a back four in a 4-2-3-1, as the sixth edition of the competition reaches its final in front of two clubs chasing their first continental crown.
Rayo’s team sheet puts Batalla in goal behind Lejeune, Ciss, Chavarria and Rațiu, with O. Valentin and U. Lopez in midfield and De Frutoz, Isi Palazon and A. Garcia supporting Alemao. Crystal Palace are set up in a 3-4-3 under Oliver Glasner, who has made no secret of how much this night means. He said it would be a perfect ending to win the trophy, adding that after more than two years in charge and the FA Cup triumph in 2024/25, a first European title for Palace would be incredible.
Glasner also praised Rayo’s route to the final, saying both semifinalists and the two finalists deserved to be there after strong runs in the competition. He described Inigo Perez’s team as fast, dangerous on the counterattack and always capable of scoring, a warning that fits the way Rayo have tried to play all season. For Rațiu, that assessment underlines why he has become an important piece in the defense and why he is expected to start the final.
The match was briefly halted near the end of the first half for five minutes because a supporter needed medical care, a reminder that even on a night built around silverware, the most urgent moments can happen away from the tactical board. Maurizio Mariani is the referee for the final, which had been published at 22:05 and later updated at 22:46 ET.
This is not just another final. It is the first continental final for both clubs, and for Perez it carries an extra line of history: at 38 years and 129 days, he would become the youngest Spaniard to lead a team in a major European final since Pep Guardiola if he wins it. Palace have the louder trophy case, but Rayo have the sharper urgency, and Rațiu is part of the side trying to turn a first appearance into something permanent.
