Real Madrid falters in Vallecas in a frantic match, leaving Barça in the lead (3-3)

Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano drew on Saturday in a memorable match in Vallecas (3-3). The 90 minutes were a relentless back-and-forth from start to finish, with a very brave Rayo seeking victory and a Madrid relying solely on their striking power. In the end, the draw was fair and allows FC Barcelona to maintain the lead in LaLiga with a one-point advantage, which could become four if the culés defeat Leganés on Sunday.

Rayo started the match in the best way, taking advantage of the usual fragility of the whites on the flanks this season. In the 4th minute, De Frutos easily outpaced Fran García to deliver a cross to the far post, where Unai López appeared unmarked, behind a completely distracted Lucas Vázquez, to head the ball comfortably past Courtois.

Madrid suffered greatly during the first ten minutes, with inaccuracies in their build-up that both Embarba and De Frutos failed to capitalize on. The visitors only threatened the rival area in the 15th minute, with a good shot from Rodrygo that was deflected by goalkeeper Batalla. Carlo Ancelotti's team, however, continued to show signs of fragility at the back, and in the 36th minute, a blow seemed lethal.

Quick reaction from Madrid to survive a frantic first half

In the 36th minute, a corner taken by Isi Palazón from the right caught Abdul Mumin free, who used his height to easily win the aerial duel against Arda Güler and Lucas. The Ghanaian headed the ball directly to the ground, giving it the placement and speed needed to leave Courtois with no chance to reach it. Despite being down 2-0, Madrid reacted immediately by betting on their best weapon: striking power and individual talent.

Three minutes after Rayo's second goal, Fede Valverde took advantage of the local defense's passivity to unleash a powerful right-footed shot that, in a second, ended up in the back of the net. Batalla barely managed to dive to his right hand, with no chance to stop the Uruguayan's missile. The goal left Rayo very shaken, and just before halftime, in the 45th minute, Jude Bellingham appeared to equalize with a header, after a good cross from Rodrygo from the left.

Rayo and Madrid continued the back-and-forth in the second half

The Brazilian was Madrid's best player in the first half and, in the second half, continued to lead the charge for the comeback. In the 56th minute, the '11' took a long-range shot that, after a deflection off a rival, ended up blasting past Batalla. Iñigo Pérez made substitutions in search of a reaction with the entries of Camello and Valentín, while Ancelotti sent on Vinicius Jr. in the 63rd minute for a missing Brahim Díaz.

As soon as the '7' entered, Rayo managed to equalize in the 64th minute thanks to a timely deflection from Isi Palazón. The winger appeared between the 'merengue' defense to, with the tip of his right boot, change the trajectory of a shot from Lejeune that Courtois seemed to have under control. The final quarter of an hour was very intense, with Madrid laying siege to Rayo's area and Vinicius once again being booked for his incessant protests. Batalla and the lack of precision preserved the draw and the 'merengue' streak without beating their neighbors.

Technical sheet of the match Rayo Vallecano 3-3 Real Madrid

• Rayo Vallecano, 3: Batalla; Ratiu, Mumin, Lejeune, P. Chavarría; De Frutos, U. López, P. Ciss (Valentín, min. 60), Embarba (García, min. 54); Isi; Nteka (Camello, min. 60)
• Real Madrid, 3: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez (Endrick, min. 79), Tchouaméni, Rüdiger, Fran García; Modric (Camavinga, min. 72), F. Valverde, Arda Güler (Dani Ceballos, min. 69); Bellingham; Brahim (Vinicius, min. 63), Rodrygo
• Goals: 1-0, Unai López (min. 4); 2-0, Abdul Mumin (min. 36); 2-1, Fede Valverde (min. 39); 2-2, Jude Bellingham (min. 45); 2-3, Rodrygo Goes (min. 56); 3-3, Isi Palazón (min. 64)
• Referee: Martínez Munuera. Booked Batalla, Nteka, and Isi in the first half for the local team. In the second half, he also cautioned Luka Modric and Vinicius Jr.; as well as Sergio Camello in stoppage time.
• Stadium: Vallecas (15,000 spectators).
• Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 17 of LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25.