At the start of the season, had this clash been described as a European hopeful vs a relegation candidate, the general consensus would’ve been that it was Sevilla in the hunt for continental football, not Rayo. Nonetheless, it was Sevilla, who have enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in recent weeks, that took the lead midway through the first half. Having tried his luck from outside the box, Suso’s speculative effort took a deflection off Rayo midfielder Óscar Valentín, before looping over Stole Dimitrievski in the hosts’ goal.
Sevilla had blitzed past PSV Eindhoven in their mid-week Europa League clash, netting three goals without return, but failure to add to their lead would end up costing the Andalusian side, with Rayo striking back level. Unopposed in the penalty area, Florian Lejeune towered high to nod home a well-deserved equaliser for the European-chasing hosts. Remarkably, it was the defender’s fourth goal of the La Liga campaign, with no side in the division having scored more goals from set pieces than Rayo this term.
Having last played a UEFA competition fixture over two decades ago, the Rayo faithful have warmed to their sides’ challenge for continental football, even chanting about the prospect of facing Liverpool in their last home match. Manager Iraola, who was subject to interest from Leeds United, will know his side need to turn their growing tally of draws into victories, should they wish to finish inside the European spots. It had looked as if Los Franjirrojos were about to steal the three points in added time, when Raul de Tomas steered home Radamel Falcao’s close-range effort, but celebrations in the capital were cut short by an untimely offside flag.
In the context of the season, it’s a precious point for both sides, with Sevilla stretching the gap between themselves and the bottom three even further, whereas Rayo remain hopeful of a top-six finish. Regardless, for Rayo, their struggles at home continue, with just one of their last five league matches having finished in a victory for the Madrid-based outfit.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Raul de Tomas (Rayo Vallecano)
