The top team in La Liga ended up with a draw following Joselu’s goal being equalized by a penalty from Raul de Tomas.

Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by city rivals Rayo Vallecano in a physical Madrid derby. The result sees Real extend their lead at the top of the La Liga table to six points over Girona. Both teams can be satisfied with the outcome, as Vallecano earned a well-deserved point under their new coach and Real maintained their position at the summit.

The opening goal came early in the match, with Real capitalizing on their only real chance. Joselu found the back of the net in the third minute, finishing off a cross from Valverde. However, Rayo fought back and were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute. Trejo’s shot was deemed to have hit Camavinga’s arm, and Raul de Thomas converted the spot-kick to level the score.

Neither team was able to seize control of the game after that, with possession evenly split and few clear-cut opportunities. The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was in the 80th minute when Toni’s magnificent free kick was met with an equally impressive save from Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Stole Dimitrivieski.

The match ended on a fiery note, with Madrid’s Dani Carvajal receiving a straight red card in added time. However, the standout performer of the game was Vallecano’s Florian Lejeune. The center-half was a rock at the back, marking his opponents tightly and denying them any space to create chances. Madrid struggled to make any significant breakthroughs in the final third, and Lejeune was the main reason for their lack of success.

Player ratings:
Rayo Vallecano:
Dimitrievski 7; Espino 7, Lejeune 8, Hernandez 6, Balliu 6; Garcia 7, Valentin 6, Lopez 5; Palazon 6, Raul de Thomas 7, Trejo 7…
Subs: De Frutos 5, Crespo 6, Perez 6, Falcao 6, Camello 5

Real Madrid:
Lunin 6; Vazquez 7, Fernandez 6, Tchouameni 6; Garcia 7, Valverde 8, Modric 7, Camavinga 6, Diaz 6; Junior 5, Joselu 6…
Subs: Carvajal 5, Kroos 7, Guler 6, Rodrygo 6