Sergio Camello was once again the key man for Rayo Vallecano, rescuing a 1-1 draw at El Sadar. The striker, who now has six goals in six appearances this season, equalised in the 50th minute following a pass from Adrià Pedrosa, cancelling out Ante Budimir's early opener.
The Madrid-based side, sitting 11th in LaLiga with seven points, showed clear attacking intent throughout the match. They registered 19 shots and dominated 62% of possession, but found Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera a tough obstacle to pass. Raúl García had two clear chances stopped by the Navarrese keeper.
A difficult start
Osasuna took an early lead. In the 16th minute, Ante Budimir capitalised on a defensive error to beat Stole Dimitrievski. Rayo reacted and began to create danger, but interventions from Herrera and several blocks kept the scoreline intact at the break. The second half was different. With more intensity, Francisco Rodríguez's team pushed for a reward and found it five minutes after the restart.
The goal was a reflection of Camello's fine form. Pedrosa won the ball in the opposition half and played a measured pass to the striker, who finished with precision to make it 1-1. "Goooooool! Camello seals the draw for Rayo Vallecano; the score goes to Osasuna 1-1 Rayo Vallecano," was heard in the broadcast.
Substitutions and a tense finish
With the draw on the board, both managers made changes. Francisco brought on Tsitaishvili and Alemão for De Frutos and Camello himself, looking for fresh legs in attack. Meanwhile, Jagoba Arrasate introduced Raúl García and Unai Santos. The match tightened in the final stages, with some tactical fouls leading to yellow cards from referee Orellana Cid, including one shown to Sergio Herrera.
The point earned in Pamplona allows Rayo to maintain their positive run, having taken two wins and a draw from their last five matches. The next challenge will be to host Athletic Club at Vallecas after the international break, a match for which the squad will be missing important players like Randy Nteka and Luiz Felipe, according to the club's medical report.
This story first appeared at La Vanguardia Deportes
Rayo manager Francisco Rodríguez confirmed on Monday that striker Sergio Camello has suffered a muscle injury to his right calf. The club stated the player will miss the next match against Athletic Club. Camello, the team's top scorer with seven goals in seven appearances, sustained the injury in the 1-1 draw at El Sadar. Rayo now sit ninth in LaLiga with eight points.
