Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Madrid: Score, Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match
Real Madrid escaped a rain-soaked Campo de Futbol de Vallecas with a 3-2 win after going down 2-0 against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, with Gareth Bale scoring a brace to keep his team alive in the Spanish title race.
Adrian Embarba and Miku gave the hosts a shock 2-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes, as Real's defence looked abysmal and the away team keenly felt the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Bale pulled one back for Los Blancos before half-time, and Lucas Vazquez tied things up after 52 minutes.
Real didn't create many chances for a winner but made the most of those available, and Bale eventually found the breakthrough after 83 minutes.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
As shared by Real’s official Twitter account, manager Zinedine Zidane handed Jese Rodriguez and Isco a start, while he kept Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric on the bench:
Per the UEFA Champions League’s official Twitter account, star forward Ronaldo missed the contest with a muscle strain.
Los Blancos nearly started the contest in emphatic fashion, as Bale hit the post from 25 yards out after just three minutes. Real took control of the ball early, but Rayo looked dangerous on the counter-attack, and with their first real chance, the hosts took the lead.
Bebe flew down the wing before turning a low cross into the box, and Embarba easily tapped home from close range.
Real looked shocked to have conceded so early, and defensively, Los Blancos were all over the place. Ramos' leadership was clearly missed, and Rayo took full advantage, doubling their lead after 14 minutes.
Raphael Varane’s attempted clearance was far too lazy, and his header fell to Miku, who smashed home from close range. Per author Sid Lowe, the Vallecas nearly exploded:
The hosts continued to trouble Real’s defence, led by Manchester United flop Bebe, who used his speed and dribbling ability to devastating effect, per ESPN FC’s Alex Shaw:
Play was halted momentarily after Embarba went down with an injury, giving Real a chance to catch their breath, but when the action resumed, Rayo still looked the better team. Bebe danced past Pepe before unleashing a hard shot on goal, which goalkeeper Keylor Navas did well to parry.
Mateo Kovacic showed a lovely bit of skill before lobbing a dangerous cross into the Rayo box, but unfortunately for the Croatian, his team-mates all chose that exact moment to attack the near post, allowing Rayo to clear the ball.
On the other side of the pitch, Ambarba went close yet again, and AS English noted Real’s defence still didn’t look good:
But the visitors started to flex their attacking muscles, and Bale pulled one back with a fantastic header after 34 minutes. Toni Kroos’ delivery from the corner was excellent, and the Welshman showed his fine athleticism to win the aerial battle.
Per MisterChip English, no one in La Liga finds more success with their headed chances than Bale:
But despite the setback, Rayo didn't back down. Pablo Hernandez went right at Danilo just before half-time, and the Brazilian had to make a key stop to make sure the two-goal gap wasn't restored.
Real suffered a setback of their own, as Karim Benzema picked up a knock and had to be replaced by Vazquez.
With Ronaldo and Benzema now unavailable, things looked dire for Los Blancos, but substitute Vazquez quickly showed his value in the second half. Danilo sprinted down the sidelines before sending a cross into the forward, who pulled his side level with a great header. Per MisterChip English, he's made the most of his opportunities this season:
Real pushed forward in an attempt to find a winner, and Juan Carlos had to make his first good save after 58 minutes, denying Jese from close range. Bale then teed up Vazquez after a fantastic run through the Rayo defence, but somehow, the Spaniard managed to miss the target from point-blank range.
The hosts defended for their lives and occasionally broke free on the counter, and Navas had to be at his best to deny Roberto Trashorras with 15 minutes left to play.
Real found it difficult to break down Rayo's defence, and while Zidane's troops desperately needed a goal to stay alive in the title race, they barely created any chances for the bulk of the second half.
But a single error from Rayo gave the visitors the opening they needed. A poor giveaway allowed Bale to use his pace to burst up the centre of the pitch before pulling a shot underneath Carlos, handing his team the lead.
Per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, Bale has found plenty of success against Rayo this season:
Real immediately locked things down defensively and barely gave Rayo space on the ball inside their own half, not allowing the hosts to create a single good chance for an equaliser.
Real will travel to England for their UEFA Champions League match against Manchester City before they visit Real Sociedad at the Anoeta. Rayo's next match will be at the Estadio Vicente Calderon against Atletico Madrid.
Post-Match Reaction
Per the Press Association (for Sky Sports), Zidane praised Bale after the match:
"I'm very happy with him and he's very happy for being able to make the difference.
He's a spectacular footballer and he demonstrated that today by scoring a decisive goal. Bale has not been fit for long, but physically he was good today.
More than his two goals he did both offensive and defensive work very well. He improved physically as the game went on, which is important for him and the team. He had a little discomfort, but today he was phenomenal.
"
He also praised his team's spirit to come back from a two-goal deficit and refused to speculate on whether or not Benzema would recover in time for the Match against Manchester
