10-men Real Madrid held to 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid, the frontrunners in LaLiga, were held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Joselu’s early goal for Real Madrid was equalized by Raul de Tomas’ penalty, setting the stage for a potential shakeup in the title race, especially with Girona in the mix.

The draw pushed Carlo Ancelotti’s side to 62 points, maintaining a six-point lead over second-placed Girona, who still has a game in hand against Athletic Bilbao on Monday. Barcelona trails in a distant third with 54 points, three ahead of Atletico Madrid in fourth.

Joselu secured Real Madrid’s lead after capitalizing on a wasted chance by Rayo’s Raul de Tomas, initiating a swift counter-attack. A precise cross from Federico Valverde set up Joselu’s simple tap-in, initially ruled offside but corrected by VAR.

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Despite enjoying up to 65% possession, Real Madrid squandered chances, allowing Rayo Vallecano to level the score with De Tomas’ penalty in the 27th minute. The handball by midfielder Eduardo Camavinga prompted the VAR intervention.

The equalizer ignited exuberant celebrations from the Vallecas crowd, lifting the home team to 16th place, safely distant from the relegation zone. Real Madrid, missing the injured Jude Bellingham, dominated the second half but struggled to convert opportunities.

Their closest chance came from a Toni Kroos free kick, expertly saved by Stole Dimitrievski in the 80th minute. The match ended on a sour note for Real Madrid as substitute Dani Carvajal received two yellow cards in added time, reducing them to 10 men.