Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis drew ”white” in the epilogue of the 16th round of the Spanish championship, at ”Estadio de Vallecas”, in a match in which Isi Palazon was the ”service ratangi” of the team coached by Inigo Perez, the goalpost of the team led from the sidelines by Manuel Pellegrini opposing one of the executions of the hosts’ “seven”. The Madrid team remains without a win in this LaLiga season in the company of the teams from Seville, and the group from ”Estadio Benito Villamarin” maintains its invincibility in the games that took place away this season in all the competitions in which it is involved.

A duel between two teams from the Spanish championship that are playing on the continental stage this season was played in the epilogue of the 16th round of LaLiga, Rayo Vallecano receiving the visit of Real Betis at the “Estadio de Vallecas”, in the Spanish capital. Before the confrontation between the two groups, the team trained by Inigo Perez was in 13th place in the general hierarchy with a total of 17 points accumulated and a goal difference of -3, while the students trained by Manuel Pellegrini occupied the sixth place in the current ranking, with 24 points, one length ahead of Athletic Bilbao, with the mention that the “white-greens” had played two games less than the team from the Basque Country.

Last week, Rayo Vallecano had beaten Jagiellonia in the UEFA Conference League, with a final score of 2-1, in a duel in which Sergio Camello and Pacha scored for the team that traveled to Poland, and the club from Seville had won in the Croatian capital in the company of Dinamo Zagreb, with a two-goal difference, an own goal, Ricardo Riquelme and Antony being the protagonists of establishing the final result. In the most recent round of the domestic competition, the players led by Inigo Perez had lost in Catalonia, against Espanyol, with a final score of 0-1, and the group from the “Estadio Benito Villamarin” had lost at home to Barcelona, ​​in a match that ended with eight goals scored.

Rayo Vallecano had not lost in LaLiga to their own fans since the end of September, when Sevilla narrowly prevailed, and a detail worth remembering is that Real Betis were undefeated away from home in all competitions this season. The last defeat recorded by the “white-greens” in a match played away from “home” was last season in LaLiga, when the Andalusian club was defeated by Atletico Madrid at the “Estadio Metropolitano”, with a final score of 1-4.

Inigo Perez did not have Unai Lopez, Diego Mendez, Oscar Trejo, Alemao, Abdul Mumin and Randy Nteka available for this Spanish league clash, and his counterpart, Manuel Pellegrini, could not rely on the services of footballers such as Sofyan Amrabat, Cedric Bakambu, Hector Bellerin, Isco, Abde Ezzalzouli and Junior Firpo. In the last two direct games between the two teams, two draws had been recorded, and the most recent victory scored by Real Betis at the “Estadio de Vallecas” would be obtained in 2023, final score 2-1.

The first appearance at the end belonged to the guests, when, after Antony’s less successful incursion, Aitor Ruibal crossed into the middle of the box, but the execution launched by Cucho Hernandez was retained without great difficulty by Augusto Batalla. The home team’s reply was not long in coming, and Andrei Rațiu took the ball in his own half of the field and advanced towards the Sevilla team’s goal. The Romanian international decided to shoot from about 25 meters, and the ball that hit the grass was rejected for a corner by the Real Betis goalkeeper. At that stage, Diego Llorente was injured and could not continue the game, Marc Bartra being the one who took his place on the field.

Also due to medical problems, Jorge De Frutos was forced to leave the playing area, and Fran Perez entered the field in his place. A quality cross from Andrei Rațiu found Fran Perez free in the opposing box, but the home team player’s header was caught by Alvaro Valles. An important goal chance was recorded at the Rayo Vallecano goal, Aitor Ruibal’s cross being hit inaccurately by Cucho Fernandez, so the phase ended with a throw-in from the corner of the six-meter box.

The biggest goal-scoring opportunity of the first 30 minutes came in the vicinity of the “white-green” goal, when Florian Lejeune fired a powerful shot from a free kick taken from the edge of the box, and the man between the Real Betis goals pushed the ball forward. From a few meters, on the push, Nobel Mendy tried to finish, but his attempt to unblock the scoreboard was blocked by Marc Bartra in the last resort. Isi Palason tried his luck from distance, but his shot, sent to the blade of grass, went just wide of the left post of the goals defended by the opposing goalkeeper.

Real Betis “opened the ball of opportunities” in the second half, and Aitor Ruibal seriously stretched Augusto Batalla, when he sent a powerful shot from about 16 meters away from the Rayo Vallecano goal, but the Argentine goalkeeper’s sensational reflex allowed the hosts to remain tied on the scoreboard. Pep Chaavarria crossed dangerously, after dribbling an opponent on the left flank of attack, and the left full-back of the band from the Spanish capital’s left side was resumed with a header from the mouth of the opposing goal by Isi Palason, but the execution of the hosts’ “seven” went past the Real Betis goal.

The Rayo Vallecano “seven” had the clearest chance to score for the team from the Spanish capital, when Isi Palazon decided to shoot from outside the box to the far corner, but the ball hit the goalpost defended by Alvaro Valles and went out of play. Real Betis returned to the offensive zone in the 73rd minute of the match, when Rodrigo Riquelme was on the end of a cross sent in front of the goal by Marc Roca, but the shot of the footballer transferred from Atletico Madrid went well over the crossbar of the home goal.

Antony received a good pass inside the penalty area from Cucho Hernandez, but the Brazilian player’s low shot was easily saved by Augusto Batalla. As a result of this draw, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis recorded their third consecutive draw, the Spanish capital team remaining unbeaten in front of their own fans since the end of September, when Sevilla managed to win all three points at the “Estadio de Vallecas”, while the team trained by the Argentine technician maintains its positive series of matches without defeat played away this season in all competitions.

Rayo Vallecano remained in 13th place in the general classification, with a total of 18 points collected, while Real Betis is still in sixth place in the current hierarchy, five lengths away from the fifth-placed Espanyol. In the next round, the students led by Inigo Perez will play on the Elche field, but until then, they will meet Drita in the UEFA Conference League, and the Andalusian club will face Getafe at home in the domestic championship, but, before this confrontation, the “white-greens” will meet Murcia in the “King of Spain Cup”.