In terms of how their season has panned out, Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League journey to the final in Leipzig has given their campaign a happy ending.
After another drab season in the Premier League, with a bottom half of the table finish nailed on, the Eagles will look to turn to the European competition to rescue a poor season.
Last season’s FA Cup winners and the 2025 Community Shield winners had to endure the Play-Offs to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, but passed every single test with flying colours, knocking teams like Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk along the way.
With one last test in Leipzig, can the Eagles deliver one more big result to crown themselves 2025/26 UEFA Conference League winners and earn their first piece of European silverware?
Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League Journey: Costly Wobbles In The League Phase
After making it through the final qualifying round by beating Norwegian side Frederikstad 1-0 on aggregate over two legs, Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League Journey started with a win in their first match of the league phase.
An away trip to Lublin to face Dynamo Kyiv was in front of them for their first-ever match in a European competition.
Even though they played the last 15 minutes with a man less, the Eagles passed the test with flying colours before that moment as goals from Daniel Munoz and Eddie Nketiah secured a 2-0 win.
However, they were quickly hit with a bitter blow as the Cypriot side AEK Larnaca stunned them at Selhurst Park by getting a 1-0 win via a goal from Riad Bajic in the 51st minute.
Their second home clash followed in matchday three as they welcomed Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar to South London.
Even though Jean-Philippe Mateta missed his spot kick in the 17th minute, the Eagles ran out 3-1 winners through goals from Maxence Lacroix and a brace from Ismaila Sarr.
Unfortunately, they failed to kick on from that win, and Strasbourg, then managed by Liam Rosenior, won the game 2-1, after a second-half turnaround.
Tyrick Mitchell gave the Eagles the lead 10 minutes before half-time, but goals from Emmanuel Emegha and eventual match-winner Samir El Mourabet continued the French side’s domination in the UEFA Conference League.
That loss dropped Palace down to 18th place in the table; however, a 3-0 win over Shelbourne and a 2-2 draw against KuPS Kuopio guaranteed Oliver Glasner’s men a place in the Round of 16 Play-Offs.
Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League Journey: Tough Bout In The Round Of 16 Play-Offs
To advance into the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League, Palace had to get past Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar to reach the Round of 16.
Sarr was once again on the scoresheet as he scored the opener in the first leg, but Karlo Abramović netted in the second half to level the tie ahead of an intense second leg at Selhurst Park.
A week later in South London, Glasner’s men booked their place in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 win in the second leg and a 3-1 victory on aggregate.
Goals from Lacroix and Aston Villa loanee Evann Guessand booked Crystal Palace their place in the next round, where they faced a familiar foe from the league phase.
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Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League Journey: The Eagles Flying Through The Knockout Rounds And Into The Final
Their first defeat in the competition came against AEK Larnaca, and it would be the Cypriot side that Palace faced in the Round of 16 for a place in the quarter-finals.
After an uneventful first leg at Selhurst Park that ended in a goalless draw, all attention turned to the second leg in Cyprus.
Sarr was on target once more, as he netted the opener, before it was cancelled out by Enric Saborit in the 63rd minute. The AEK Larnaca defender was later sent off, and the Cypriot side were down to 10 men as the game entered extra time.
Palace’s number seven added another goal to his collection, putting the Eagles into a 2-1 lead, which they held onto until the final whistle. The hosts were also reduced to nine men after Petros Ioannou saw red in added time in extra time.
In the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals, Crystal Palace took on Fiorentina. At home for the first leg, the Eagles tore the Italian side apart, as goals from Mateta, Mitchell and Sarr rounded out a perfect 3-0 win.
In the second leg, Sarr continued to add to the scoring and extended Palace’s advantage. Despite Fiorentina’s fightback and 2-1 win, Glasner’s men advanced to the semi-finals with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Shakhtar Donetsk awaited Crystal Palace in the semi-finals, with the Ukrainian side beating AZ Alkmaar 5-2 on aggregate to advance into the UEFA Conference League final four.
Palace made light work and dispatched Shakhtar with ease. A 3-1 away win put the Eagles one step away from a European final, as goals from Sarr, Daichi Kamada and Jorgen Strand Larsen gave Oliver Glasner’s side a two-goal advantage ahead of the second leg.
At Selhurst Park, Palace once again came out on top as Pedro Henrique’s own goal gave the hosts a 1-0 lead and a 4-1 lead on aggregate.
Eguinaldo was able to get a goal back for the Ukrainian side, but the inevitable Sarr scored the winner in the second leg, earning a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-2 victory over two legs.
For the final against Rayo Vallecano, the ball has to be fed to Sarr, who has nine goals in the competition and could very easily hit double figures in the last match of the UEFA Conference League.
From having to qualify for the competition to a stressful league phase and a dominant display in the knockout stages, Crystal Palace are one game away from creating another piece of club history.
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Credit: IMAGO / Ball Raw Images
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