GOAL! Rayo Vallecano hit back early in the second half!
GOAL! Rayo Vallecano hit back early in the second half!
What a response from the visitors, a slick team move sees Óscar García knock the ball down perfectly, and Sergio de Frutos is in the right place at the right time to tap it past Courtois from close range. The Bernabéu is stunned as Los Blancos shake their heads, punished for a moment of defensive lapse. Just four minutes into the second half, it’s all square at 1-1.
Los Blancos head into the break with a slim lead thanks to Vinícius Júnior’s brilliant solo strike in the 15th minute, his first goal for the club in three months. That goal keeps Madrid just a point behind Barcelona in the La Liga table, but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
The Bernabéu crowd aren’t impressed with what they’ve seen so far, letting their frustration be heard with whistles as the players leave the pitch at half-time.
Rayo are starting to show some teeth in attack as Óscar García picks up a neat pass on the left, turns sharply, and lets fly from 20 yards with his left foot. But Thibaut Courtois is having none of it, perfectly positioned, he smothers the shot and keeps Los Blancos in front. After 36 minutes, it’s still 1-0 to Real Madrid.
Vinícius is clearly in the mood tonight and he’s already hunting for another. He bursts down the left flank with pace, skipping past his marker, and for a moment it looks like he might create something special again.
But Florian Lejeune stands firm inside the box, shutting the door just in time and bringing the move to an end. After 27 minutes, Los Blancos still lead 1-0.
GOAL for Real Madrid and it’s Vinícius Júnior who lights up the Bernabéu! The Brazilian finally ends his scoring drought, grabbing his first goal for Madrid since October in stunning style.
He tears down the left flank, glides into the box, then twists and turns past a crowd of Rayo defenders like they aren’t even there. And the finish?
Pure class, a delicate chip into the top-right corner that leaves the keeper stranded. After 15 minutes, Real Madrid are 1-0 up and Vinícius is back on the scoresheet in spectacular fashion.
Kick-off in Madrid and the tempo is high straight away. Vinícius Júnior is quickly involved, winning a free kick in the defensive half after a foul from Andrei Rațiu. Moments later, Real Madrid earn an early corner as Pep Chavarría is forced to concede under pressure, a sharp start from Los Blancos with the Bernabéu already buzzing.
The match kicks off at 6:30pm IST. The Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano, Spanish La Liga 2025-26 clash will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India. It will not be telecast on any TV channel in the country.
Greetings and welcome, one and all! We are building up to the start of the matchday 22 clash between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league. Watch this space.