In the 8th round of La Liga, Rayo Vallecano celebrated a hard-fought victory against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium. The game’s only goal came in the 83rd minute, scored by Luis Alfonso Espino.
Espino’s performance earned him the title of man of the match, showcasing his importance not just in defense but also by planting the ball into the back of the net.
Midfielder Unai López also delivered an impressive performance, completing 73 passes and recovering 7 balls during the match.
Real Sociedad’s coach, Sergio Francisco, deployed a 4-4-2 formation featuring Alex Remiro as the goalkeeper; with Jon Aramburu, Igor Zubeldía, Duje Caleta-Car, and Sergio Gómez forming the back line; Jon Gorrotxategi, Carlos Soler, Ander Barrenetxea, and Brais Méndez in midfield; and Mikel Oyarzábal alongside Gonçalo Guedes in attack.
Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano, managed by Iñigo Perez, opted for a 4-3-3 setup, placing Augusto Batalla in goal; Andrei Ratiu, Pathé Ciss, Florian Lejeune, and Pep Chavarría in defense; Isaac Palazón, Unai López, and Óscar Valentín in midfield; and Alexandre Alemão, Álvaro García, and Jorge de Frutos leading the attack.
José Guzmán Mansilla officiated the match at Anoeta Stadium.
Looking ahead, Real Sociedad will take on Celta away, while Rayo Vallecano will face Levante as the visitors in their upcoming fixture.
This result leaves the home team with 5 points in the tournament, sitting in 19th place, while the visitors climb to 8 points, occupying the 14th position.
Substitutions in Real Sociedad
60’ 2T – Carlos Soler out for Takefusa Kubo and Gonçalo Guedes out for Luka Sucic.
79’ 2T – Ander Barrenetxea out for Jon Karrikaburu and Brais Méndez out for Pablo Marín.
Yellow Cards for Real Sociedad:
15’ 2T – Carlos Soler (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions in Rayo Vallecano
45’ 2T – Álvaro García out for Fran Pérez.
64’ 2T – Isaac Palazón out for Pedro Díaz.
70’ 2T – Pathé Ciss out for Jozhua Vertrouwd.
76’ 2T – Alexandre Alemão out for Luis Alfonso Espino and Jorge de Frutos out for Randy Nteka.
Yellow Cards for Rayo Vallecano:
17’ 2T – Isaac Palazón (Unsporting behavior) and 46’ 2T – Florian Lejeune (Unsporting behavior).