Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner believes Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano will be a “50-50 game” as the Eagles prepare for the biggest European night in the club’s history.
Palace booked their place in the final after a commanding 5-2 aggregate victory over Shakhtar Donetsk and will now face the Spanish side in Leipzig for the trophy.
Despite Palace’s impressive European run, Glasner admitted Vallecano represent the toughest tactical challenge his side have faced in the competition so far.
The Austrian coach explained how Palace have adjusted their schedule ahead of the final, with extensive video analysis forming a major part of their preparations.
“[We prepare by] watching hours and hours of video! It’s number one. [Thursday], we left at half-eight, my staff and me. We have to use these days, this week, for preparing, because next week, we have no time,” Glasner revealed.
“We watched, I think, four or five hours of video of Vallecano. Of course, the analysts already watched and know what to do and what suits us and probably what doesn’t suit Vallecano.
“We changed our schedule a little bit. We had two very intense sessions, yesterday and today. We gave the players off tomorrow, which we normally don’t do, but we don’t have eight or nine days until the final in a row, so this is a slight adjustment.
“For Saturday and Sunday, it’s just Arsenal. And on Monday, we switch back again and on matchday, this was my experience from my first final: I will go, have a nice breakfast and we will prepare in a good meeting.
“Players will have a rest and I will go into the gym to be ready in the evening. It’s a 50-50 game”
Glasner compared the upcoming showdown to previous finals in his managerial career and stressed how evenly matched the encounter could be.
“I think it’s a 50-50 game. Every final is a 50-50 game, but the same with [Eintracht] Frankfurt. We were winning against Barcelona in the quarter-final. We were the underdog.
“We played West Ham then. We were the underdog. We played Rangers [in the Final], and it was 50-50, and it went to penalties, so I expect a very tight game against Vallecano. It’s such a good team.”
The Palace boss also highlighted the strength of Spanish football and praised Vallecano’s tactical discipline and experience.
“They are still fighting for European qualification in La Liga. I think everybody has seen that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid were in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
“They are the only country with three teams in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. One team is in the Conference League final.
“The Spanish league is top, and Vallecano will end seventh again after last year. We will play the tactical best team in the Conference League we played so far.
“Individually, Shakhtar Donetsk was the best team with all the Brazilians, the quick players they had, but tactically, Vallecano are so good, playing so intense, always pressing, always running in behind, always sprinting.
“You have never time, there’s threat on transition. Very experienced, many players 30 or older.
“They’re a fantastic team of players, and a really, really well-managed team.”
Glasner also reflected on the growing dominance of Premier League clubs across European competitions and believes England’s financial power continues to drive success.
“It’s the second Conference League final where the English team plays the Spanish team. It was Chelsea against Real Betis last year. I think I watched the game and I remember the first half, Betis took the lead and looked a little bit better, but then Chelsea could turn it around in the second half.
“In every European final we have an English team this year. Of course, that’s why you know the Premier League is the most competitive league.
“But also, in the Champions League, maybe the top-flight of European football, there were three Spanish teams on that stage [Round of 16] too.
“In these top five leagues – England, Germany, France, Italy, Spain – you have often two, three, maybe four teams on a very high level. There was also Freiburg playing against Villa yesterday [in the Europa League Final]. In the Premier League, we have 17, 18.
“Last year, it was the 17th against the 15th [in the Europa League Final]. In the Premier League, we are 15th and in the Conference League final. It’s just the quality of every single team is so high. The competitiveness of the Premier League is the highest in the world.
“The reason is very simple, like always. It’s in every sport and it is where most of the money is. You have the best players. You have the best managers, maybe. And then you get the best teams.
“This is why the Premier League is quite dominant. Last year, it was the same. This year, you get the fifth Champions League spot for the coefficient. That’s the nature of the Premier League.”
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