Rayo Vallecano vs. Atletico Madrid: Winners and Losers from Copa Del Rey
Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their round-of-16 matchup in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Rayo opened the scoring in the 35th minute on a stunning effort from left-back Nacho from 25 yards away. Atleti leveled the contest in the 67th minute as substitutes Luciano Vietto and Saul Niguez combined on a goal that was set up by Vietto on the right wing.
Although Atleti created more chances in the second half at the Estadio de Vallecas, they returned home with just a tie. The two sides will meet in the second leg at the Vicente Calderon on January 14.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from the Copa del Rey draw between Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid.
Winner: Nacho
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Rayo Vallecano left-back Nacho was arguably the best field player on the pitch at the Estadio de Vallecas on Wednesday night.
The 26-year-old Spaniard consistently posed a threat to the Atleti defense with his surges forward and his crossing ability.
Fifteen minutes after his free-kick tested Miguel Angel Moya at the right post, Nacho sent a thunderous shot into the bottom-right part of the net to put the hosts ahead by a goal.
The left-footed thunderbolt from the defender was the highlight of the first half for a Rayo Vallecano side that pushed a shaky Atleti defense for most of the 45 minutes.
Even though Atleti equalized in the second half, Rayo Vallecano enter the second leg with a good amount of confidence thanks to the play of Nacho and others.
Loser: Fernando Torres
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Due to the inefficiency of Fernando Torres and a few other attacking players in the Atletico Madrid starting lineup, the first-place team in La Liga left the door open for Rayo Vallecano to spring a surprise upset in the second leg.
During his 75 minutes on the pitch, the Spanish forward failed to put himself in positions to score while Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco ran rampant on the wings.
The forgettable performance by the former Chelsea and Liverpool man helped extend his scoreless streak to 18 matches across all competitions.
If Atleti want any chance of securing multiple trophies over the next five months, Torres must start to find the back of the net.
Winner: Diego Simeone
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With his side down a goal and in need of a spark, Atleti boss Diego Simeone made two early changes in the second half that worked to perfection.
In the 56th minute, Simeone brought on Saul Niguez and Luciano Vietto for Oliver Torres and debutante Augusto Fernandez. Eleven minutes after the double swap, Vietto broke free from a defender on the right wing and fed Saul with an assist on the lone Atleti strike.
The attacking change allowed Atleti to earn a key away goal just in case they fail to get going in the second leg at home in a week's time.
Loser: Manucho
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Former Manchester United forward Manucho wasn't inactive up top like his counterpart Fernando Torres, but he was far from accurate in the final third for Rayo Vallecano.
The 32-year-old Angola international had a pair of opportunities to score in quick succession in the 63rd minute, but both of his attempts went wide of the net.
The first potential goal-scoring opportunity was presented to Manucho by Nacho, who sent in a beautiful cross from the left wing. Instead of challenging Moya with a shot, Manucho sent his header over the net.
Just under a minute after his first big chance to score in the second half, Manucho received the ball on the right side of the field. The forward wound up and sent his attempt high and left.
Although those two missed opportunities seem small in a two-legged matchup that lasts 180 minutes, they were two of the best chances Rayo Vallecano had in the second half. In order to advance to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, Manucho must be more efficient when plays like that come along in the second leg.
Winner: Juan Carlos
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The play of Juan Carlos in net was the main reason Rayo Vallecano remained in the round-of-16 matchup with Atletico Madrid.
The 27-year-old netminder constantly came off his line in an attempt to thwart moves forward from Atleti, and on most of those occasions, he chose correctly.
Juan Carlos made his two best saves in the final 10 minutes as he kept shots from Vietto and Ferreira-Carrasco out of the net. In the 80th minute, Juan Carlos leaped and stopped Vietto's volleyed attempt from the left side of the box. Three minutes later, he scurried over to the left edge of the penalty area and took the ball off the foot of Ferreira-Carrasco with his right leg.
Although Rayo Vallecano are seen as underdogs heading into the second leg, they have a legitimate chance to advance behind the play of Juan Carlos.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
