MADRID 18 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Villarreal extended their drought of good results with a draw (1-1) against Rayo Vallecano this Wednesday, while Espanyol and Valencia also signed a draw, with a point for each team that does not change their complicated situation in the lower zone of LaLiga EA Sports.
In the game on matchday 12 postponed by the tragic DANA, the ‘submarine’ had another elusive day and in the end even had to settle for a tie playing with one less player since the red card to Willy Kambwala in the 32nd minute. Marcelino García Toral took one setback after another when his performance did not look bad.
Villarreal soon took over from Rayo’s initial pressure and returned that bite to the top and began to generate many good scoring chances. The connection between Yeremy Pino and Ayoze Pérez bore fruit but not in the form of 1-0, due to a great battle in the Madrid goal. When Rayo suffered, in a counterattack it was 0-1 for Íñigo Pérez’s team, the work of Álvaro.
The locals tried again but Willy Kambwala’s red card once again punished Villarreal’s faith with fuel to continue pushing until Ayoze made it 1-1 and was even able to turn the score around before the break. However, the second half was more of Rayo’s, with a damaging Sergio Camello between the lines, but those on the sidelines also lacked aim.
Although Villarreal had a couple of arrivals with Ayoze and Thierno Barry, Rayo was closer to victory. The changes, with the return of Juan Foyth more than a year later or the entry of Gerard Moreno and Juan Bernat who had it in injury time, did not change the script, nor did an unleashed Pape Gueye, and in Rayo there was no final lucidity either. . Those from Vallecas, who had just tied Real Madrid, remain in the middle of the table, while Villarreal, who has not won for five days, fails again to the ‘Top 4’.
On the other hand, postponed from matchday 13 also by DANA, a soulless RCDE Stadium saw its team suffer to get a point against the bottom team (1-1). Espanyol, with 15 points marking the relegation zone, started ahead against Valencia, last with 11 although with even one less game, which reacted and came close to making a comeback.
The ‘che’ team showed confidence in Rubén Baraja even though they went to half-time down, with a header from Javi Puado already in the 44th minute. The Catalans’ captain had forgiven another one before hitting the crossbar but he aimed well in time, although Valencia also found the crossbar with Diego López and Dani Gómez was able to tie in injury time. However, the minute after returning from the locker room, Diego López did get it right for the visitors, the start of a second half that was more of Baraja’s team.
The VAR annulled a goal against Espanyol and another against Valencia and, with a lot of nerves and even more need in a direct duel to get out of the burn, the ‘che’ team tried to generate more and better from behind, until they had the last one in the discount, goal also disallowed for offside, by Dani Gómez. A tie that leaves both teams equally at the bottom and equally concerned with their future.