The Madrid derby in the 24th round of the Spanish championship was not as "interesting" as expected: Atletico looked completely helpless in the away match against Rayo Vallecano and could not respond, losing 0:3.
On February 15, in the match at Campo de Vallecas, the score opened in the 40th minute - Perez put the ball in the net. Before Atletico could even recover, Valentin (45) doubled the lead before the end of the first half. In the second half, Simeone's team tried to change the situation, but the decisive blow still came from Rayo Vallecano: in the 76th minute, Mendy scored the third goal, putting an end to the game - 3:0.
After this loss, Atletico remained in 4th place with 45 points. Rayo Vallecano, on the other hand, increased its points to 25, moving up to 16th place - a very valuable step in the fight for the bottom.
The lineups and substitutions in the game also speak for themselves. Rayo Vallecano entered the field with Batalla, Raciu, Lejeune, Mendy, Pacha, Valentin, Gumbau, Ahomash, Palazon, Perez, de Frutos. Atletico's lineup included Oblak, Molina, Jimenez, Langle, Ruggeri, Baena, Mendoza, Cardoso, Gonzalez, Almada, Serlot.
The bookings also showed a nervous background: Cardoso (29), Mendoza (52), Llorente (70) and Garcia (90+2) received yellow cards.
The conclusion is simple: Atletico will want to forget this night as soon as possible, while Rayo Vallecano, with their confidence and discipline on their home field, “broke” the opponent and gave their fans a real celebration. Now Simeone needs a reaction in the next games - because such “gifts” are not tolerated in the race for the top places.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
