Rayo Vallecano secured a key 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Tuesday in La Liga's sixth matchday. Early goals from Álvaro García and Adrià Pedrosa proved enough for Beñat San José's side to claim three points that lift them away from the relegation places, now sitting 16th with 4 points.
A blistering start
The match could not have begun better for the hosts. After just three minutes, Álvaro García met a cross from the left flank to beat Marko Dmitrović with a low shot. Rayo, coming off a heavy defeat at the Bernabéu, showed aggressive intent from the first whistle. The second goal arrived in the 26th minute, again with García as the provider. The winger laid the ball off for Adrià Pedrosa, who curled a superb effort into the far corner from the edge of the box.
Manolo González's Espanyol reacted after the break and pulled one back in the 54th minute. A through ball from Francisco Javier Hernandez Coarasa found Roberto Fernández Jaén, who finished coolly past Emil Audero. The Italian goalkeeper made three saves throughout the match to preserve the lead. Possession favoured Rayo (54%), though the visitors created more danger, registering 19 total shots.
Tense finish and red card
The final half-hour was marked by tension and bookings. Rayo accumulated five yellow cards, shown to Unai López, Georgiy Tsitaishvili, Pathé Ciss, Gnangoro Bouare and Alexandre Zurawski. Espanyol, who had already seen Marcos Fernández booked, ended the match with ten men in the 98th minute. Omar El Hilali was sent off for a handball, halting a final Rayo attack.
Beñat San José made five substitutions to manage the result, introducing Óscar Valentín, Bouare, Francisco Pérez Martínez, Alexandre Zurawski and Ivan Balliu. The win boosts the morale of a squad whose upcoming fixtures can be checked online. Striker Sergio Camello, the team's top scorer this season with 6 goals, was substituted in the 76th minute.
The triumph takes Rayo to 4 points total. The team travels next Saturday to face Osasuna at El Sadar. The full squad list and player stats are on our squad page.
