The match took place at Vallecas, which was a cause for concern for Real Madrid. In their last four visits to this ground, they had dropped points in three of them. With this in mind, the start of the match didn’t offer much hope, as Real found themselves trailing just 4 minutes into the game. By the 36th minute, Rayo Vallecano doubled their lead to make it 2-0.
However, Real Madrid didn’t give up. Despite missing Kylian Mbappé due to injury, their attacking line-up, including Rodrygo, Arda Güler, and Jude Bellingham, constantly pressured Rayo’s defense. Their efforts paid off quickly—just 39 minutes in, Federico Valverde fired in a powerful shot from nearly 35 yards out to pull one back. Then, in the final minute of the first half, a brilliant header from Bellingham off a cross by Rodrygo leveled the score.
In the second half, Real Madrid increased their attacking intensity. They quickly took the lead in the 56th minute when Rodrygo, assisted by Güler, scored to make it 3-2. But Real couldn’t hold on to the lead for long. Just 8 minutes later, Rayo Vallecano equalized again through Isi Palazón’s goal. In the end, the match finished in a 3-3 draw.
Following this draw, Real Madrid has 37 points from 17 matches, sitting in second place in La Liga. Barcelona, with the same number of matches, leads the table with 38 points.
