Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Levante
Rayo Vallecano and Levante left Vallecas on Monday night with the same reward, but with very different definitions of what it means to them. After their heroics in Europe last week, Rayo had to appeal in a way that did not please Inigo Perez. For the second week running, Levante fans are being treated for a serious stomach ailment – the kind that makes every football fan wonder if it’s worth it.
The home side started the better, although there was an unusual rumble from Vallecas, as the Rayo ultras didn’t sign off until the 15th minute as a protest against Monday night football. After Ivan Romero’s header hit the side netting from a set piece, Rayo began to gather momentum. Fran Perez bent a cross into the corridor of uncertainty between the defense and the goalkeeper without result. Four minutes later, Rayo put together their best move of the half, Jorge de Frutos playing the ball from the back towards Alemao. He knocked the pass down, and Pedro Diaz coming to the ball should have done better with a free shot inside the box.
On the half hour, Levante seemed to adjust their game. Coming down the right, a cross from Iker Losada found Carlos Espi behind the post, but his volley effort went into the top left corner. Five minutes before the break, Espi hit the net. This time it was from a short set piece that Losada lifted the ball to the back post from the right, and Oscar Valentin was no match for Espi, who guided his header down into the net.
Three minutes later, another cross from the right, this time from Garcia, found Espi’s power to head another ball into the goal. Augusto Batalla was equal to this one, but Nobel Mendy had to put in a good block on Romero from the rebound to keep the deficit to one.
Pathe Ciss delivers a sucker punch to death
No one will say that Levante was in charge or controlled the first half, but the weapon they had, turned out to be very sharp on the field. Eight minutes into the second half, Rayo’s career took a turn for the worse. Having already booked, Mendy took the ball out with his own, and when he tried to block it, he cut Levante with his hand. A second yellow was quickly shown, and Mendy waved his hand apologetically as he ran down the tunnel.
To their credit, Rayo managed to raise the tempo despite their struggles, and it was Levante who spent most of the next 20 minutes defending. Ilias Akhomach’s electric feet off the bench were causing problems for Levante’s defenders, creating enough space for Alemao to almost slot in with a pass without the boot. At the same time, the tired legs of Rayo’s midfield made them ripe for attack – it felt like the game was well balanced. With Espi and Kareem Tunde, Levante was giving the athletes a lot to think about.
The last 15 minutes, with the score in play, things are a little tighter. Rayo were playing most of the game in Levante’s half, but with only one player, they struggled to find the final ball, with the defense able to rely on a lot of cover. The adoring hopes of the home crowd and Rayo players proved worthy. With a minute left, Rayo worked the ball down the left and Jorge de Frutos looked certain to equalise, if not for Matt Ryan’s save. Cat-like to close the distance, when a loose ball was given to Ilias Akhomach, Ryan again blocked it and blocked it over the bar.
There was a second chance though. In the last minute of stoppage time, the ball was deflected to the left and was won by Florian Lejeune who plays at center back. Appearing in the thin air in the eyes of Levante left back Manu Sanchez, Pathe Ciss was caught in the wind in front of him, divine intervention. Inside the six-yard box, Ciss was in control with his body, and he finished faster than even Ryan could get out.
Football can be cruel, but when it rewards courage, quality and effort, it feels like a fair world exists. At least that was the feeling from Vallecas. On the face of it, the home draw of 1-1 will not live long in the memory of Rayo, and it is not a good result, but the story behind it will leave Inigo Perez’s side not only six points before the drop, but with the certainty that there is no task too long in their spirit.
On the other hand, this game is dangerous in a game that will be remembered by Levante fans if it ends up going down. A good chance to go within a game of safety slips through their fingers – as it is, a five-point deficit. Manager Luis Castro raised his arms in exasperation after the equaliser, defender Alan Matturo grabbed his shorts and shouted to the heavens. According to the score, survival is still very possible. But Castro may be wondering how many more body shots he can recover from.
