Real Madrid were held to a 3-3 draw by Rayo Vallecano in a thrilling encounter on Saturday evening, in the 17th round of La Liga, at Rayo’s home ground, the “Teresa Rivero”.
Valverde, Bellingham, and Rodrigo found the net for Real Madrid in the 39th, 45th, and 56th minutes, respectively, while Rayo Vallecano responded with goals from Unai Lopez, Abdelmoumen Suleiman, and Isaac Palazon in the 4th, 36th, and 64th minutes.
This draw saw Real Madrid reach 37 points, remaining in second place in the La Liga standings, just one point behind leaders Barcelona. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano earned a point to bring their total to 20, placing them 13th.
The match kicked off with an early goal for the home team, as Unai Lopez found the back of the net in the 4th minute. He met a well-placed cross from the right by his teammate De Frutos and expertly headed it past Courtois into the net.
Rayo Vallecano players appealed for a penalty in the 20th minute after De Frutos was brought down following a clash with Rudiger, but referee Martinez Munuera waved for play to continue.
In the 36th minute, Abdelmoumen Suleiman doubled the lead for Rayo Vallecano. He rose to meet a corner kick from Palazon, heading the ball powerfully past Courtois into the net.
Real Madrid quickly responded, with Fede Valverde pulling one back in the 39th minute. The midfielder fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that found the bottom corner of Vallecano goalkeeper Batalla’s net.
Just before halftime, Jude Bellingham scored the equalizer in the 45th minute. He connected with a cross from Rodrygo, sending the ball into the net to level the score at 2-2.
In the second half, Arda Guler thought he had given Real Madrid the lead in the 51st minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Moments later, Rodrygo put Madrid ahead in the 55th minute, finishing off a pass from Guler with a rocket shot into the far corner of the goal.
However, Isaac Palazon quickly responded for Rayo Vallecano, scoring the equalizer in the 64th minute. He met a cross from Lejon, placing it with one touch past Courtois’ right side into the net.
In the 66th minute, Pedro Diaz came close to giving Rayo the lead, unleashing a powerful shot that narrowly missed, going wide of the left post.
Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid’s star, appealed for a penalty in the 75th minute after a challenge, but the referee waved play on.
In the 84th minute, Bellingham passed the ball to Vinicius, who made a brilliant run and dribbled past defenders, only to fire the ball over the crossbar, missing the chance to secure a fourth goal. The thrilling match ended in a 3-3 draw.
