UEFA Conference League final: Watch Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano with TNT Sports on Virgin TV at no extra cost

These are heady days for Crystal Palace. Back in the day, they were hailed as “the team of the 80s”, which turned out to be a non-starter; they then spent the 90s as a classic yo-yo club (two promotions, three relegations). But since 2014 they’ve been an established Premier League stalwart featuring an array of exciting talent from Wilfried Zaha to Adam Wharton, and this successful period reached its high point last May when they claimed their first major trophy by beating Man City in the FA Cup final.

That victory took Palace into UEFA competition as well, and an increasingly confident continental campaign culminated in a semi-final victory over Shakhtar Donetsk to put them in the final of the UEFA Conference League. Palace will face Spain’s Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on Wednesday 27 May, and the good news is all Virgin TV customers who watch on TiVo, V6, Virgin TV 360 or Stream can catch the full match live in HD, at no extra cost. Read on to find out how.

First things first: winning the FA Cup should have qualified Crystal Palace for the Europa League, but because of some off-field complications involving multi-club ownership rules, they weren’t permitted to take part in the same competition as French club Lyon. Instead they entered the Conference League and, with three wins and a draw in six games, made it through to the knockout rounds. Since then the south Londoners haven’t looked back, beating Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia-Herzegovina and AEK Larnaca of Cyprus, and then knocking out the experienced European campaigners Fiorentina and Shakhtar to make the final.

Ismaïla Sarr has been the Euro hero, scoring in every knockout round including both goals against Larnaca and a first-minute strike in the semi-final away leg to help settle any nerves. In midfield, the industrious Daichi Kamada and the classy Adam Wharton keep the team ticking, while dynamic Colombian wide player Daniel Muñoz is explosive on the right. Maxence Lacroix has led the defence with authority since arriving from Wolfsburg in 2024, alongside solid US international Chris Richards, while Dean Henderson’s performances in goal have taken him into the England squad.

Despite the success, it’s been a strange time for fans since coach Oliver Glasner confirmed in January that he would not be staying beyond the end of the season – but he’s shown no let-up in his desire to bring Palace a second major trophy in 12 months. Glasner himself credits the amazing atmosphere at Selhurst Park, which has been especially prominent on European nights, with boosting the team. The supporters’ aim will be to recreate that at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena.

Their opponents Rayo Vallecano are also appearing in their first European final. Like Palace, the Madrid team are a big-city club often overshadowed by more glamorous neighbours, and they’re content with being seen as plucky underdogs. But the club where Andoni Iraola made his name are currently more than holding their own in the ultra-competitive La Liga, and they’re on course for another top-half finish.

Palace will need to look out for wide player Jorge de Frutos and the unpredictable Brazilian forward Alemão, while everything goes through the long-serving holding midfielder Óscar Valentin. They’re not especially prolific scorers, though, and Palace will be confident that their attack can outdo Rayo’s.

It’s a thrilling game in prospect between two clubs enjoying an unprecedented run of footballing achievement. No matter the result, there’ll be a new name in the pantheon on European trophy winners – and the celebrations should be spectacular.

And all Virgin TV customers who watch on TiVo, V6, Virgin TV 360 or Stream can see the full match live at no extra cost with TNT Sports on CH 526. It’s available in HD for a superb viewing experience, so tune in from 6pm on Wednesday 27 May to catch all the action. This channel will not be available on the Virgin TV Go app.

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