Last night Levante travelled to Madrid for a match against Rayo Vallecano. A clash between two teams that could really use every point. A true relegation battle.
Despite the fact that the side of Iñigo Pérez has been performing brilliantly in Europe, with a 1:3 win against Turkish side Samsunspor in the Conference League just last week, things have been far less convincing in La Liga. The fact that the match was played on a Monday evening did not help the home team either. Out of their last nine Monday matches, they managed to win only one.
Levante were last season’s champions of the second division. The team from Valencia had imagined their return to the top flight quite differently, as they managed to win only 5 of their first 27 matches. They are currently sitting near the bottom of the table in second to last place.
Home matches at Rayo always feel special. Buying tickets at the stadium, a very small ground that is decades old, and supporters who all come from the Vallecas neighborhood. The club has a unique atmosphere that you can only experience there.
The atmosphere was lively and the fans supported their team passionately as always, but it did not seem to help. The first half was full of sloppy play from both sides. With a busy schedule, the home team chose to rotate, but it did not work out well as many passes failed to find their target.
It looked like a first half with little to no chances, but in the 41st minute the visitors struck. After a brilliant cross from Iker Losada, Carlos Espi headed the ball home. It landed perfectly in the right corner, marking the third match in a row in which the 20 year old striker opened the scoring.
The next chance followed quickly. Just one minute after the opening goal, Pedro Diaz unleashed an incredible shot from 35 meters. It looked destined to be a wonder goal, but the ball sailed just centimeters wide of Mathew Ryan’s goal.
Both teams went into the dressing room with a 0:1 deserved lead for Levante, who took advantage of Rayo’s uninspired football.
At the start of the second half, Rayito seemed to take control of the match. They began to push forward, but made things difficult for themselves. In the 53rd minute, Nobel Mendy handled the ball near the halfway line. A very unnecessary mistake, and it earned the Senegalese defender his second yellow card. The task ahead suddenly looked much harder.
The visitors then tried to strike on the counter but failed to convert their chances. When Pérez decided to bring fan favorites Andrei Ratiu and Isi Palazón onto the pitch, Rayo regained momentum. The substitutes made the difference and even with one man less, the home side started to play better.
Despite being down to ten men, the home team kept fighting, but it seemed that Levante would take all three points back to Valencia. Especially when former Club Brugge and Genk goalkeeper Ryan made two great saves late on.
There was just one minute left on the clock, the final minute of four added minutes. Then the equalizer came for the hosts. After a long ball from Pacha, Florian Lejeune flicked it on towards the far post, where substitute Pathe Ciss calmly finished past Ryan. The Estadio de Vallecas erupted.
For a moment it seemed the goal might be ruled out when referee Cesar Soto Grado consulted VAR for a possible handball. After two tense minutes, the goal was confirmed and the match was brought to an end.
A 1:1 draw that doesn’t do much for either side. Levante failed to finish the job against ten men and missed a great opportunity in their fight for survival. For Rayo, this should serve as a wake up call that after their European adventure, they need to raise their level again in La Liga.
