Rayo Vallecano earn breathing room for European push against 10-man Elche

Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Elche

Rayo Vallecano gave themselves the breathing room they wanted to enjoy their Conference League clash against AEK Athens on Thursday, after downing ten-man Elche at Vallecas. Los Franjiverdes had little to show for their efforts in something of an arm wrestle.

The significance of the game was visible in the Elche players early on, as they nervously defended some relatively prosaic attacks from Rayo Vallecano in the opening stages. Rarely do Rayo face a team of comparable resources so intent on dominating the ball, and it meant that both teams remained extremely vigilant of transitions, taking the safe pass more often than not.

As the game moved towards the half hour mark, the home side began to find more spaces in midfield though, with Unai Lopez working Matias Dituro for the first time in earnest. Minutes earlier, Florian Lejuene headed the clearest opening over from a corner. Dituro became overly anxious to get involved thereafter, rushing out to the edge of his box to be rounded by Alvaro Garcia. Against the angle, Garcia beat Dituro twice more in the box, as Elche defenders rushed to close down his options, and eventually blocked his effort off the line.

That could have been described as a good effort, but moments after he wished for the same composure. After a lovely pass by Andrei Ratiu, this time he blazed over from the inside left channel. Firmly on the back foot now, from nowhere Elche almost responded with the opener. A teasing ball through the corridor of uncertainty by Buba Sangare caught out Rafa Mir at the back post too, who was inches away from connecting with it.

That might have been considered the sliding doors moment for Elche. In the busiest period of the game, from a set piece that followed quickly after, Bigas attacked the ball with a high foot, and Oscar Valentin beat him to it with his head. The result, a yellow card for the veteran captain after 40 minutes, his second.

Rayo edge ahead after hard churn

Eder Sarabia must have thought his luck had changed when a mishap at the back for Rayo gave German Valera a clear opening moments into the second period. He could only sting Augusto Batalla’s gloves though, a disappointment it took him a while to get up from. Keen to make Valera regret his central effort even more, Lejeune then whistled a shot from 30 yards just past the post. If Elche had come out to dominate the ball and pick their way through Rayo in the first period, the red card flipped that script in the second period.

The game was drifting in a manner that Sarabia seemed content with in the middle section of the second half though, with Elche largely managing to do their defending from a settled shape – first foremost halting Rayo’s counters. Hence why the noise thundered up a gear when Andrei Ratiu cut the ball back to Pedro Diaz on the edge of the box, and his curling effort licked the outside of the post. Most of Rayo’s shots were coming from outside the box, and as much as a battle for the opener, it felt like it was a battle for momentum – Rayo trying to up the tempo, Elche doing their best to slow it.

For the first time in the second half, Rayo had managed to have a consistent spell doing so, and with 15 minutes to go, finally made Elche pay. Simple in its construction, substitute Randy Nteka simply read a Garcia cross from the left bettter than his marker, and nipped in to prod home at the near post before Dituro could react. Something of an inspired change from Inigo Perez, the Angolan was on the scoresheet for the first time in 15 months.

Making three changes, Sarabia’s side never truly looked like they had the resolve to mount a comeback in the final 15 minutes. Not entirely familiar with the direct game, if anything Rayo enjoyed finally having some space to stretch into when they did get the ball.

The victory moves Rayo seven points clear of the drop into 12th, as they prepare for their Conference League quarter-final on Thursday. A solid if somewhat clunky showing was enough to squeeze Elche out of the game once down to ten.

Elche will nervously hope that Real Madrid can ensure RCD Mallorca do not eliminate their one-point advantage from the drop zone. After a vital win over Los Bermellones last time out, it’s back to the drawing board before Valencia next week. There was little to reproach about their effort and performance, but at this stage of the season, to take little from the performance is disappointing, to take no points from the game is to endure a week of worry.

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