Aston Villa will meet Freiburg in the 2026 Europa League final after a commanding semi-final display at Villa Park, while Crystal Palace have booked a historic Conference League final clash against Rayo Vallecano.
Villa sealed their place in the Europa League final with a 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the second leg, completing a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Ollie Watkins set the tone in the 36th minute before Emiliano Buendía doubled the lead from the penalty spot after a VAR review. Captain John McGinn wrapped up the night with a late brace, scoring twice inside three minutes.
Freiburg secured their final spot with a dramatic 3-1 win over Braga, edging the tie 4-3 on aggregate. Lukas Kübler struck twice, with Johan Manzambi also on target in a tense encounter that saw Braga reduced to ten men early on. The German side held firm to set up a first-ever meeting with Villa in a European final.
The Europa League final will take place on Wednesday, May 20 at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul.
In the Conference League, Crystal Palace continued their impressive European run with a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, sealing a 5-2 aggregate triumph.
An own goal from Pedrinho handed Palace an early advantage before Ismaïla Sarr added a second-half strike to confirm the London club’s place in the final.
Rayo Vallecano completed the line-up after a disciplined 1-0 away win over Strasbourg secured a 2-0 aggregate victory. Alemão’s first-half goal proved decisive as the Spanish side kept a clean sheet to progress.
Crystal Palace will face Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on Wednesday, 27 May at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, with both clubs chasing a first major European trophy.
Be First to Comment