Sergi Guardiola recovers the gunpowder

Rayo recovered the punch in Los Cármenes. The franjirrojos had dried up in the League, where they had only scored three goals (Balliu against Betis, Fran García against Elche and Baby against Sevilla) in ten games, until Granada crossed their path again. It was his best medicineas happened in the first round, in which he endorsed his biggest win of the course (4-0). This time, the Vallecanos scored two goals in barely a quarter of an hour and they enjoyed occasions to have sentenced in a spectacular first part.

Not only Rayo was reunited with the goal, so did Sergi Guardiola. The striker saw the door again 106 days later and, as in that duel against Alavés on December 18, 2021 -in which Catena also wet-, found in Álvaro García his best ally. The winger assisted him then and did so again on Sunday, while Guardiola finished perfectly on both occasions. His cross shot with the left was unstoppable for Luis Maximiano and spurred him to continue with the siege of the enemy goal.

Throughout those 106 days, the striker had scored twice in the Cup King. In fact, his two goals in Montilivi, on January 15, opened the doors to the quarterfinals for Rayo. From there, Iraola gave him a title in which he has settled for six consecutive days. The Usurbil coach has always defended his work, beyond the goal. “He gives us a lot of things and makes the team play better. It brings us closer to the opposing goal, it never hides. I have no doubts with him”, he said after the derby against Atlético.

Sergi Guardiola landed in Vallecas, on loan from Valladolid, with the difficult mission of fighting for a position with Falcao. The amazing start of Tiger relegated him to a discreet background, but he knew how to take advantage of the opportunities of the red-haired coach and the injuries of his partner, who has been absent for a large part of this campaign. Thus, with work and fulfilling each appointment, he has become the ‘nine’ holder of the Strip, with which he collected 1,206 minutes in 24 matches, in addition to four goals and two assists in the League.