Mateta fires Crystal Palace to Conference League win
by The Eagle Online · The Eagle OnlineJean-Philippe Mateta fired Crystal Palace to their first European trophy as the Eagles edged out Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final.
The France striker turned home a close-range winner on the rebound from an Adam Wharton strike early in the second half in Leipzig.
Outgoing Palace boss Oliver Glasner leaves the club having led them to the FA Cup, Community Shield, and now Conference League in a remarkable two-and-a-half-year spell at Selhurst Park.
Both sides were competing in their first European final and so the cagey start to proceedings at Red Bull Arena – the home of RB Leipzig – was perhaps unsurprising.
Alemao turned a half-decent opportunity wide before Unai Lopez placed an effort past the post in Vallecano’s best opportunities of the first half.
But the best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Palace just before the break when Tyrick Mitchell headed wide after Wharton had found him with a superb ball into the box.
Palace took the lead just six minutes into the second half when Wharton’s strike was palmed into Mateta’s path by Vallecano goalkeeper Augusto Batalla and the forward diverted it into the net.
It was Mateta’s 16th goal of the season for Palace – and he almost left the club in January before a knee injury scuppered a move to AC Milan.
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Yeremy Pino then hit both posts with a free-kick before he teed up Mateta for another chance but this time Batalla pulled off a fine save.
Vallecano, who have the lowest budget in the La Liga, were in their first major final but struggled to create any real chances late on as Palace held on for their historic moment – and delivered for Glasner in his final game as Eagles boss.
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