Rayo Vallecano booked a historic place in the UEFA Conference League final after defeating Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in their semi-final clash.
The Spanish side followed up their first-leg 1-0 win with another narrow victory at the Stade de la Meinau to secure their first-ever appearance in a major European final, thanks once again to Brazilian forward Alemao.
Having scored the decisive goal in the opening leg, Alemao struck again in the 42nd minute to put Vallecano firmly in control of the tie.
The striker reacted quickest after Strasbourg goalkeeper Mike Penders pushed the ball back into danger, finishing from close range for his fifth goal of the tournament.
The goal sparked frustration among the home fans, with whistles echoing around the stadium at the interval as Strasbourg struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
The French side improved after the restart but failed to seriously trouble Vallecano, with Samir El Mourabet wasting one of their better openings by firing over from distance.
Rayo Vallecano nearly wrapped up the contest late on, only for Penders to produce an outstanding double save to keep Strasbourg alive.
The hosts were handed a lifeline deep into stoppage time when they won a penalty, but goalkeeper Augusto Batalla denied Julio Enciso from the spot to seal Vallecano’s memorable progression.
Rayo Vallecano will now take on Crystal Palace in the Conference League final at Leipzig Stadium on May 27 after the Premier League side eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 on aggregate.
