Leading La Liga by four points over Villarreal, Xabi Alonso's men traveled to Vallecas on Sunday to face Rayo Vallecano in Matchday 12. Having lost to Liverpool in the Champions League (1-0) midweek, Real Madrid were eager to bounce back and consolidate their top spot before the international break, on a pitch where they hadn't won since the 2021-2022 season. For this Madrid derby, Alonso fielded a very attacking lineup featuring Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., Bellingham, Brahim Diaz, and Arda Güler, while Camavinga occupied the midfield role in the absence of Tchouaméni. In defense, Trent Alexander-Arnold remained on the bench once again, with Valverde starting at right-back. On the other side, Rayo Vallecano, 12th in La Liga before the match, were looking to bounce back after a heavy 4-0 defeat against Villarreal. Victorious in the Europa Conference League this week against Lech Poznań (3-2) , Francisco's men dreamed of pulling off an upset this afternoon; it's worth noting that Frenchman Florian Lejeune started in defense for the home side.
Real Madrid immediately tried to take control of the ball, with Brahim Díaz's first backheel attempt going awry (3rd minute) and Güler's powerful shot being deflected by Batalla (3rd minute), but Rayo Vallecano, solid in their deep defensive block, quickly dampened Madrid's enthusiasm. Vinicius Jr. tried to create chances down the left flank without success, Bellingham and Mbappé lacked precision, and Asencio missed a header when unmarked from a Brahim Díaz cross (23rd minute). For Rayo, Ratiu saved a Vinicius shot in the box (42nd minute). The first half was marred by numerous fouls and five yellow cards (Rațiu 15th, Álvaro García 33rd, Huijsen 36th, Brahim Díaz 44th, De Frutos 45+3rd), and the two teams went into the break with the score at 0-0. Real Madrid were frustrated by their lack of finishing, while Rayo Vallecano were solid defensively. Pedro Díaz was forced off with an injury in the 27th minute and replaced by Espino.
Real Madrid haven't won at Vallecas for 4 years
Upon returning from the locker room, Dean Huijsen, who was having a rough patch , was replaced by Éder Militão: a logical choice by the Spanish coach since Huijsen had received a yellow card. Valverde had a chance to open the scoring in the 49th minute, but the Uruguayan completely missed his free-kick. Rayo Vallecano responded immediately: from a superb cross by Espino, Palazon appeared at the near post, but failed to hit the target. As is often the case, Arda Güler tried to take control, as seen with his curling shot in the 52nd minute from a Kylian Mbappé pass, but without truly imposing his game. Moments later, the Vinicius-Mbappé connection almost proved decisive, but the French captain missed his shot.
Captain Valverde unleashed a powerful right-footed shot in the 69th minute, but the Rayo goalkeeper once again saved his effort. Looking to break the deadlock, Xabi Alonso brought on Rodrygo in the 80th minute for Camavinga, and then Alexander-Arnold replaced Valverde two minutes later. Real Madrid continued to press until the final whistle, while Rayo's players were content to defend. Despite their dominance, the match ended in a goalless draw, 0-0. With this result, Real Madrid remain top of La Liga with 31 points , while Rayo sit in 12th place with 15 points. A disappointing result for Real Madrid, who could see Barcelona close the gap tonight, and who remain winless at Vallecas since the 2021-2022 season.
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