On 31 January, one of the matches of the 20th round of the Spanish football championship took place. Atletico (Madrid) and Rayo Vallecano (Spain) met.
Spanish Championship, 20th round
Atletico (Madrid) - Rayo Vallecano (Spain) - 2:1 (1:1)
Goals: Mandava (35), Depay (90+1) - Alvaro Garcia (42).
Warnings: Perez (38), Isi Palazón (61)
Atletico Madrid won a thrilling encounter against Rayo Vallecano in a highly competitive La Liga. The fans at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano were eagerly awaiting the match between these two bitter rivals. After the half-time whistle, the scoreline was 1-1, which promised an exciting second half, which it turned out to be. At the start of the match, both teams showed great energy and determination to win the decisive three points. Atletico Madrid were the first to score in the 35th minute. Reinildo struck the opponent's goal, which caused great excitement among the fans. However, Rayo Vallecano quickly responded with a goal just before the break. A. Garcia showed his agility and accuracy, taking advantage of a defensive error to equalise. However, the visitors' jubilation was short-lived as Atletico Madrid took to the pitch with renewed vigour in the second half. Manager Diego Simeone made a number of substitutions that brought fresh energy and ideas to the Atletico Madrid squad. A. Vermeeren replaced N. Molina in the 46th minute, while A. Correa and R. Riquelme came on in place of A. Griezmann and S. Lino in the 58th minute. Lino in the 58th minute.
The last substitution was M. Llorente for R. de Paul in the same minute. "Rayo Vallecano" also made changes to their line-up, releasing A. Ratiu instead of I. Balliou and M. Crespo instead of C. Perez in the 65th minute. However, it was Atletico Madrid's substitutions that had a greater impact on the game. In the 81st minute, the match took a dramatic turn when Atletico Madrid had a goal cancelled due to an offside call. The home side lost the opportunity to take the lead, but continued to press forward. In the 90th minute, when it seemed that the game was doomed to a draw, Atletico Madrid's M. Depay seized the moment. His accurate shot hit the net, eliciting an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd. This late goal left Rayo Vallecano little time to hit back. Passions flared up in the final minutes of the game, with Rayo Vallecano's Francisco receiving a red card. P. Chavarria and D. Simeone also received yellow cards in the final minutes of the match. When the final whistle sounded, Atletico Madrid emerged as deserved winners with a score of 2-1. Their resilience, tactical composure and effective substitutions were crucial in achieving the victory. This hard-fought victory will give Atletico Madrid confidence as they continue their campaign in a tough and competitive La Liga.
In the next round of fixtures, the following matches await the rivals: Real vs Atletico, Rayo Vallecano vs Sevilla.
| Atletico | Rayo Vallecano | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 2 |
| 8 | Hits | 10 |
| 3 | Blocked shots | 5 |
| 7 | Penalty kicks | 6 |
| 1 | Penalty kicks | 4 |
| 11 | Offences | 13 |
| 5 | Corner | 5 |
| 7 | Offsides | 0 |
| 54% | Ball possession | 46% |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 1 |
| 486 | Total assists | 410 |
| 402 | Accurate assists | 322 |
| 83% | Accuracy of passes | 79% |