Valencia takes a breather in Vallecas against a blocked Rayo

Looking at relegation with almost a dozen points advantage. This is how Valencia de Vallecas comes out, with a hard-fought victory against a Rayo that no longer knows what to do to win at home. He approached, looked for it, but he became deflated until he was left without a prize.. [Narrative and statistics (0-1)]

“Wait wait wait”. This is what Sergi Canós shouted in the 60th minute after placing the Valencian goal into the corner of Dimitrievski's goal with a right-footed shot to the long post.. Too much time without good feelings after having fought to be on the team of his life. He spent the preseason waiting for the call from Valencia and paid the price for an injury that has prevented him from thanking the open arms with which Mestalla welcomed him on the pitch..

His goal was an injection of energy that the team, which had gone five days without winning, knew how to manage even with 10 players.. One more sign of maturity for Baraja's team, which suffered to maintain the tie in the first half.

Not a single corner

The dynamics of the two teams did not invite it to be an attractive duel and it was not.. Valencia finds it difficult to get away from the heat of Mestalla and Rayo fans have only seen their team beat Alavés, and that was when they went to the stadium in short sleeves, on September 15. That is why Francisco forced from the beginning, disturbing Raúl de Tomás and Camello and forcing the rival to have to adapt to his demands.

The first blow was saved by Mamardashvili, who grew bigger to take one-on-one against Isi Palazón in the 10th minute.. Then it was Lejeune who tried from the front. The connection with sparks from De Frutos, Isi and Camello made the Valencians roll up their sleeves and a timid shot from Diego López was the only concern the Vallecano goalkeeper had. Little ball, few chances and not a single corner.

In the second half, Rayo wanted to maintain their pressure, but they gave in and Valencia smelled that weakness.. Canós tried first, arming his leg from the right wing and forcing Dimitrievski. He had the prize a minute later appearing on the opposite side of the area. Diego López found him there and the man from Castellón, with infinite desire to vindicate himself, didn't even think about it.. The goal was his way of asking Valencia to wait for him.

Direct red after the VAR

Francisco undid his bet on the two forwards who accumulate the most minutes without seeing the net. He left RdT but sent Camello to the bench to look for Nteka's strength. Valencia knew how to handle the uncertainty of the locals with Baraja responding to the Vallecano coach's order. Hugo Duro headed a corner that was saved by Pathé Ciss and Lejeune stopped Fran Pérez's run as he faced the goal.

The question was whether Valencia, which this season has lost advantages in a flash, would withstand the pressure of a Rayo that, despite the emotional block, was going to attack Mamardashvili. In one of those accelerations, Thierry stopped Álvaro García on the same line at the front of the area. Alberola Rojas showed the yellow card, but the VAR invited him to send him off with a direct red card for being the last man, although there was a doubt that Diakhaby would arrive. The mysteries of video arbitration that may or may not reveal their conversations.

Clinging to the epic and with continuous skirmishes, Rayo could not knock down a Valencia that added the three points that tasted very rich.