A Champions League victory for LaLiga
Rayo Vallecano’s qualification for the Conference League final is significant news for LaLiga next season.
After Rayo Vallecano clinched a place in the Conference League final, Spain will have five teams in next season’s Champions League. It’s now a mathematical certainty. Real Betis fans - and even those of Celta Vigo - celebrated wildly when goalkeeper Augusto Batalla saved a decisive penalty and Rayo sealed progression on Thursday, beating Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals. It is now impossible for the Bundesliga to catch LaLiga in UEFA’s coefficient standings, no matter what happens in the finals.
That outcome guarantees that the team finishing fifth in LaLiga - likely to be Betis, who are six points ahead of sixth-placed Celta - will play in Europe’s premier club competition next season. And there’s more: sixth will head to the Europa League, and seventh will qualify for the Conference League, with Spain’s European slots shifting down one position across the table.
A dramatic night of continental action
The battle between Spain and Germany for the extra Champions League berth delivered a night for the ages. Results from Freiburg’s clash with Braga and Rayo’s trip to Strasbourg shaped the UEFA coefficient standings in real time. Things swung Spain’s way early thanks to Alemao’s goal for Rayo, but there was still late drama, as a single goal could have flipped the entire picture.
With Rayo’s win, Spain reached 22.093 points in the coefficient race, compared to Germany’s 21.785. Even in a worst-case scenario - Freiburg winning the Europa League final and Rayo losing the Conference League final - the gap could no longer be overturned.
England tops rankings - and can secure Euro treble
Before the second legs of the semifinals even kicked off, it was already confirmed that England - currently sitting on 28.125 points - would finish top of the rankings and also secure an extra Champions League spot. The Premier League could yet cap a historic treble across UEFA competitions, with a finalist in each: Arsenal in the Champions League, Aston Villa in the Europa League, and Crystal Palace in the Conference League.
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