Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid Review
Real Madrid was unable to take the top spot in the La Liga standings after drawing 3-3 with city rivals Rayo Vallecano, resulting in a third consecutive draw between the two teams. Traveling to El Estadio de Vallecas, Real Madrid faced a challenging match at a venue where they had only won once in their last four visits. Rayo Vallecano started strong, taking the lead within the first four minutes when Jorge de Frutos skillfully maneuvered past Fran García and delivered a perfect cross for Unai López to score with a header. The visitors were taken aback and didn’t create their first opportunity until the 14th minute, when Rodrygo’s shot from a tight angle was saved by Augusto Batalla.
Madrid had difficulty asserting themselves in the match and fell behind 2-0 by the 36th minute when Abdul Mumin was left completely unmarked during a Rayo corner, allowing him to score with an easy header. This moment ignited Real Madrid, who quickly equalized before halftime. Federico Valverde struck a powerful shot into the bottom corner from long range, followed by Jude Bellingham, who displayed excellent positioning to head in Rodrygo’s cross.
Madrid believed they had taken the lead in the 51st minute when Luka Modrić made a precise pass to Arda Güler, who scored with a header, but the goal was disallowed for offside. However, the visitors quickly bounced back as Rodrygo scored a fantastic goal to put them ahead 3-2. After a period of possession, the Brazilian skillfully dribbled past a defender and fired an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box.
Unfortunately for Madrid, their lead was short-lived as Rayo equalized shortly after the hour mark. After failing to clear a set piece, they were punished when Isi Palazón tapped in Florian Lejeune’s cross.
With six goals scored in just over an hour, the match seemed poised for an exciting finish. However, in a disappointing turn of events, neither team managed to score a fourth goal. As a result, the points were shared, which is a setback for Ancelotti’s Madrid, who could have taken the lead ahead of Barcelona’s game against Leganés. On the other hand, Rayo missed the chance to break into the top half of the standings and stay in 13th place.
