Espanyol shock Rayo Vallecano in Vallecas and come up for oxygen
Espanyol shock Rayo Vallecano in Vallecas and come up for oxygen
Rayo Vallecano 0-4 Espanyol
The two sides came into this game with clear objectives – to take another step towards Europe and another leap towards survival. However the pair swapped roles early on in the encounter.
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Rayo were laden with errors early on, and two slips from Randy Nteka gave the ball away in compromising positions for the home side. The first resulted in a corner, where the unmarked Leandro Cabrera was able to head home unmarked. The second saw the ball given away, and Javi Puado capitalised on a miscalculation from Aridane Hernandez, before squaring for Robert Fernandez to slot home inside 12 minutes.
The half did not get much better for Rayo, and if anything, the only positive at half-time was that Puado and company had not made more of their chances. After a double substitution at the break, Rayo improved, dominating the third quarter, and finally forcing Joan Garcia into an excellent save from Alvaro Garcia down low to his right.
Image via Pericos Marca
Yet the errors from Rayo broke down their comeback attempt again. Fernandez should have scored a ball across the six-yard box that was all too easy, but Pathe Ciss' desperate block attempt ended in a studs-up challenge, and eventually, a penalty. Puado brought up his 10th goal of the season with a cool penalty, and sealed the match with 20 minutes to go.
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Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, who made two strong saves in the first half to keep them in it, was powerless to stop Puado's chipped effort in the closing stages, but fortunately for him, it bounced wide without insult to injury. Marash Kumbulla also headed wide late on, as Rayo failed to lift their heads in the final stages. Pere Milla was less forgiving off the bench though, and in a late counter-attack, fired home with his left as four Espanyol players outnumbered the defenders, the first time they have scored four in La Liga this season.
That was a summary of the night, with Espanyol solid at the back, and patient to capitalise on a series of Rayo mistakes, who looked a shadow of themselves. It's a golden result for Espanyol, who move five points clear of the drop before the other sides play, the first daylight they have had to their rivals in the bottom three in some time. Inigo Perez's first-half fury turned into resignation, and his side drop to eighth on goal difference, level on points with Celta Vigo and RCD Mallorca.
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Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
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Logic dictates that regular game time at senior level would be best for his development and he won't be short of suitors. Age: 21 Loans last season: Dundee United Stephenson took his opportunity to impress in pre-season last summer at right-back. That earned him a move to Dundee United and Stephenson played multiple positions for the Scottish side, although he was predominantly deployed in his natural position, centre midfield. Advertisement He helped them qualify for the Europa Conference League, and while he also finished the campaign injured, he won the club's young player of the season award. Manager Jim Goodwin has spoken about wanting to bring Stephenson, who made 34 appearances, back next season, but competition for his signature would not be surprising. Age: 28 Loans last season: Derby County Phillips' season-long loan at Championship side Derby County saw him establish himself at the heart of the defence around December and he never relinquished that starting role. The 28-year-old battled relegation and turned into a key performer under John Eustace, who was appointed in February, as they survived by finishing 19th. The expectation is that this summer will be the time for Phillips to move on. Eustace made it clear he would like to keep the centre-back following the final game of the season and interest is expected from other Championship clubs. Age: 24 Loans last season: Morecambe Phillips' fellow centre-back from that chaotic 2020-21 campaign spent last season in League Two, but Williams could not prevent Morecambe being relegated to non-League. He was a regular under Derek Adams but, like Phillips, his future lies away from Anfield. It is yet to be determined if that will be another temporary move or a permanent switch. Age: 20 Loans last season: Norwich City, Portsmouth There was once so much hope and expectation for Gordon after his arrival as a 16-year-old from Derby County. Now 20, he is unfortunately becoming a prime example of how development can be halted by injury problems. The winger missed more than 18 months of action between 2021 and 2023 and has been trying to make up for lost time ever since. Given the opportunity to gain first-team experience in the Championship, his spell at Norwich was underwhelming and ended in January. He switched to Portsmouth, where he also failed to make his mark. His combined 327 minutes across 15 Championship appearances were far from ideal and more senior football has to be the priority for the upcoming campaign. Advertisement Age: 21 Loans last season: Wigan Athletic, Kilmarnock The right-back position has been a key topic of conversation in recent weeks following Trent Alexander-Arnold's exit. Liverpool moved quickly to put in place a deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong to challenge Conor Bradley, but in an alternate universe, it would be Ramsay providing that competition. Ramsay has become a forgotten man. He signed from Aberdeen for an initial £4m in 2022, making his two senior appearances that year. Injuries, though, have derailed him. A serious knee injury ruled him out for the rest of 2022-23 and they plagued him during loans at Preston North End and Bolton Wanderers last year. Two disappointing loans have turned into four this season. Ramsay spent the first half of the season on loan at Wigan, making five starts in 12 appearances, before he was recalled and sent to Scottish side Kilmarnock, where he made eight appearances (one start) and played just 128 minutes. The key for the upcoming season is finding a team where he will play consistently, and that's likely to come via a temporary move. Age: 20 Loans last season: Wigan Athletic Continuing the injury theme, it was a stop-start campaign for Chambers, who also joined Wigan last summer. The left-back was a regular until a back injury suffered in October ruled him out until the new year. He returned to Liverpool for rehabilitation, but his loan was not cancelled and he returned to action in March. That was short-lived, however, as his back problems reappeared after two appearances and he was ruled out for the rest of the season. Age: 20 Loans last season: Millwall Fellow left-back Scanlon fared even worse as his three appearances in January at Millwall, after coming back from a long-term injury, led to another injury lay-off. The 20-year-old required hamstring surgery, which ended his season. Age: 22 Loans last season: Gillingham Advertisement Corness was hoping to build on the first team experience he enjoyed on loan at Swiss side Lausanne in 2023-24 when he joined League Two Gillingham in February. The central midfielder featured in the first four games but was then not involved in 10 of the next 13 matchday squads. Alongside disruption caused by a minor injury, Gillingham then went through a managerial change as interim manager John Coleman was replaced in March by Gareth Ainsworth. Corness eventually featured in the final two league games, starting one. Given his age, Corness needs to be playing regular senior football, so Liverpool's decision to release him — confirmed last week — makes sense for all parties. Age: 21 Loans last season: Gillingham Mrozek began the 2024-25 season on loan at Swedish side Brommapojkarna midway through their campaign but managed only five appearances before he dropped to the bench. He moved to non-League side Forest Green Rovers in January and clocked up more minutes, making 11 consecutive league starts – keeping three clean sheets – and impressing club officials, before a groin injury ended his season early. Age: 22 Loans last season: Utsiktens (ongoing) Mrozek's fellow goalkeeper joined Swedish second-tier side Utsiktens three months ago for the beginning of their league season, which runs from March until November, but Liverpool confirmed he was being released last Friday. Age: 22 Loans last season: Shelbourne FC (ongoing) Norris was an unused substitute on four occasions for Liverpool's senior team after being named on the bench against Champions League opponents Girona and PSV as well as Southampton (Carabao Cup) and Plymouth Argyle (FA Cup). The left-back's last senior appearance came in 2021 and he is currently gaining first-team experience with Shelbourne in the League of Ireland. Managed by former Chelsea and Newcastle midfielder Damien Duff, they signed Norris in February, with their season running until November. Therefore, Norris knows where he will be for the next six months and he has been a regular, making 17 appearances so far. (Top photos: Jayden Danns, left, and Stefan Bajcetic; Getty Images)
