Real Madrid Stalls with 1-1 Draw Against Rayo Vallecano Amid Fresh Speculation Surrounding Kylian Mbappe.

2 min read 2024-02-20, 12:05 AM IST

Real Madrid faced disappointment as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano, potentially putting their Spanish league lead at risk. Meanwhile, Almeria set an unfortunate record as they became the first team to go 28 straight games without a league win. Despite taking an early lead, Almeria drew 1-1 at Granada, extending their winless streak. Real Madrid’s match against Rayo Vallecano marked their first since the news broke that Kylian Mbappé would be leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, prompting speculation about his potential move to the Spanish powerhouse. (also read: Al Nassr Triumphs Over Al Fayha with Late Ronaldo Goal AFC Champions League Round of 16 Highlights | FYH 0-1 NAS).

Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, was questioned about whether the Mbappé transfer rumors had affected his team’s performance. Ancelotti defended his squad, stating, “When has this team lacked concentration? It’s tough to say anything bad about this team this season.”

Despite Joselu giving Madrid an early lead just three minutes into the match, Rayo Vallecano managed to equalize through a penalty kick converted by Raúl de Tomás in the 27th minute. The draw left Madrid six points clear of second-place Girona, who was set to face fifth-place Athletic Bilbao the following day.

As for their rivals, third-place Barcelona secured a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo, with Robert Lewandowski converting a stoppage-time penalty kick to secure the win. Barcelona trailed Madrid by eight points in the standings. Atletico Madrid, sitting in fourth place, secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Las Palmas, but remained 11 points behind the league leaders.

The draw against Rayo Vallecano was a disappointing result for Real Madrid, especially considering Rayo’s recent poor form. Ancelotti acknowledged the frustration, stating, “We want to win every game, but to win the league you can’t lose the games you can’t win.” Despite the setback, Ancelotti saw the draw as a potential positive step towards winning the league, emphasizing the importance of avoiding losses. (also read: La Liga Drama Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Ends in a Thrilling 298th Derby Draw).

Real Madrid maintained an impressive unbeaten streak in the league, extending it to 19 games with 14 wins and five draws. Notably, their only failure to score during this run came in a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano earlier in the season.

Injury continued to trouble Real Madrid, with Jude Bellingham still sidelined due to an ankle sprain sustained in the previous match against Girona. Brahim Díaz replaced him once again, partnering with Vinícius Júnior in the attack. Luka Modric, who had seen limited starts throughout the season, featured in midfield, while Aurélien Tchouaméni adapted to a central defensive role alongside Nacho Hernández.

Toni Kroos made his 450th appearance for Real Madrid as a second-half substitute. Rayo Vallecano, on the other hand, introduced their new coach, Íñigo Pérez, in his debut match. The former midfielder replaced Francisco Rodríguez following a string of poor results. Despite their efforts, Rayo Vallecano continued to struggle at home, extending their winless streak to 10 consecutive games and sitting in 14th place in the standings, eight points clear of relegation.

Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal received a second yellow card deep into stoppage time, resulting in his dismissal from the match.

Meanwhile, Almeria’s winless streak reached a historic low as they surpassed Levante’s record of 27 consecutive games without a league win set in 2021 and 2022. Almeria, owned by Saudi investors, took an early lead against Granada through Marc Pubill’s ninth-minute goal but conceded an equalizer in the 75th minute, settling for a draw. Granada, second-to-last in the standings, remained ahead of Almeria, with Cadiz occupying the bottom spot and enduring a 21-game winless streak.

In other league action, sixth-place Real Sociedad ended their five-game winless streak across all competitions with a late 2-1 victory over Mallorca. Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, securing the win for Real Sociedad. Japanese international Takefusa Kubo also found the net for Real Sociedad, while Antonio Sánchez opened the scoring for Mallorca. Mallorca suffered further setbacks as Antonio Raíllo was sent off in first-half stoppage time, followed by Siebe van der Heyden’s dismissal in second-half stoppage time. Mallorca remained in 16th place in the league standings.