Rayo Vallecano captain Oscar Valentin believes they have an advantage over Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League final, their dressing room.
El Partidazo de COPE report comments from the 31-year-old today ahead of the Conference League final.
Better than Crystal Palace
Rayo are the surprise package of the competition, with few having expected the Spanish side to make it this far. This is only the second time they’ve appeared in a European competition after competing in the UEFA Cup all the way back in the 2000-01 season.
Like Crystal Palace, this will be their first ever European final. They made it to the final two following an impressive 2-0 win over Strasbourg in the semi-finals.
And captain Oscar Valentin believes they have one major aspect in their favour: the current power in their dressing room.
“I’m sure the Crystal Palace locker room isn’t like the one we’ve got here. That’s a point in our favour,” he said.
“Lifting the Conference League? It’s the best send-off for Oscar Trejo.”
Fatigue setting in
The Spanish side head into the final after an impressive season in Spain that has them currently sitting in eighth, just four points outside of the top six.
It’s an impressive return from a side who most had expected to be struggling at the wrong end of the table this season. Instead, they are seven points clear, with a final game against Alaves on Saturday before the final four days later.
It’s even more impressive when considering that they’re outperforming sides ranked considerably higher in terms of squad costs within their division.
It also means, unfortunately, that this season has been a draining one. That was something Oscar Valentin was willing to admit following a recent draw with Valencia.
“Considering the team is very fatigued from accumulated matches, it’s a good point at a ground that’s always difficult. It brings us closer to our objective, almost within reach,” Union Rayo report him saying.
“We have a fairly large squad. It’s been shown that whoever plays performs well. Fatigue is taking its toll. We’ve gone quite a few games unbeaten, and the team is focused for these next two matches.
“It’s a mental effort we have to make week after week. With so many games in quick succession, we don’t have time to think about the final. I think the team is focused on finishing the season strong to build momentum for that highly anticipated final.”
