Rayo Vallecano faced a challenging match at home against Levante, ultimately ending in a 1-1 draw during the 28th round of La Liga.
Levante took the lead with a goal from forward Carlos Espí in the 40th minute of the first half. However, just minutes into the second half, Pathé Ciss equalized for Rayo Vallecano in the 49th minute.
Despite Rayo Vallecano controlling 60% of possession throughout the match, they were unable to secure a win and had to settle for a draw against Levante.
Pathé Ciss’s performance stood out as he was the most notable player of the match, scoring one goal and completing 21 successful passes.
On the other side, Levante’s Carlos Espí also had a remarkable game, netting a goal, taking four shots, and providing six accurate passes.
Coach Iñigo Perez deployed his Rayo Vallecano team in a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Augustus Batalla in goal; Iván Balliu, Florian Lejeune, Nobel Mendy, and Luis Alfonso Espino in defense; Gerard Gumbau, Óscar Valentín, and Pedro Díaz in midfield; along with Jorge de Frutos, Alexandre Alemão, and Fran Pérez in attack.
Meanwhile, Luis Castro’s Levante lined up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Mathew Ryan guarding the net; Jeremy Toljan, Matías Moreno, Alan Matturro, and Manu Sánchez in defense; Oriol Rey, Iker Losada, Víctor García, Iván Romero, and Kareem Tunde in the midfield; and Carlos Espí leading the attack.
The match officiated by César Soto Grado saw several cards issued. In the first half, Nobel Mendy and Jorge de Frutos received yellow cards, while Mendy was also sent off after a second yellow in the 52nd minute of the second half. Levante’s Kareem Tunde, Jeremy Toljan, Paco Cortés, Matías Moreno, and Manu Sánchez were all cautioned throughout the match.
In their upcoming fixtures, Rayo Vallecano will travel to face Barcelona, while Levante will host Real Oviedo at home.
Currently, Rayo Vallecano occupies the 13th position in the league with 32 points, whereas Levante remains in 19th place with 23 points.
Substitutions for Rayo Vallecano
45’ 2T – Fran Pérez out for Ilias Akhomach, Gerard Gumbau out for Álvaro García
64’ 2T – Óscar Valentín out for Isaac Palazón, Alexandre Alemão out for Andrei Ratiu
75’ 2T – Iván Balliu out for Pathé Ciss
Yellow Cards for Rayo Vallecano:
18’ 1T – Nobel Mendy (Unsporting behavior), 39’ 1T – Jorge de Frutos (Holding the opponent to prevent advancement)
Red Card for Rayo Vallecano:
52’ 2T – Nobel Mendy (Second yellow)
Substitutions for Levante
54’ 2T – Kareem Tunde out for Paco Cortés
73’ 2T – Iván Romero out for Ugo Raghouber, Víctor García out for José Luis Morales, Iker Losada out for Kervin Arriaga
83’ 2T – Carlos Espí out for Etta Eyong
Yellow Cards for Levante:
29’ 1T – Kareem Tunde (Unsporting behavior), 12’ 2T – Jeremy Toljan (Unsporting behavior), 20’ 2T – Paco Cortés (Holding the opponent to prevent advancement), 42’ 2T – Matías Moreno (Unsporting behavior), 48’ 2T – Manu Sánchez (Unsporting behavior)