MADRID — Jorge de Frutos made a significant impact once again, netting his third goal in just two matches, which led Rayo Vallecano to a 2-1 victory against Celta Vigo. This win extended Rayo’s impressive unbeaten streak at home to 14 games in La Liga as they clashed on Friday night.
Rayo Vallecano got off to a strong start, with Adri Embarba scoring the opening goal in the fifth minute. He capitalized on a misjudged clearance from Vicente Guaita and struck a volley that found the back of the net.
However, Celta Vigo responded in the 26th minute with an equalizer from Borja Iglesias. He skillfully finished off a well-executed cross from Jonathan Bamba, marking his fifth goal of the current season.
The decisive moment came 18 minutes into the second half when de Frutos fired a quick shot that secured the win for the home team. This goal followed his impressive double during Rayo Vallecano’s recent 3-1 Copa del Rey victory over Racing Ferrol.
In a dramatic turn of events, Marcos Alonso, a defender for Celta and former Chelsea player, received a red card in stoppage time, adding to the tension of the match.
Celta’s coach, Claudio Giráldez, expressed his frustration over specific refereeing decisions that he felt had negatively influenced the game’s outcome. He pointed out instances where clear penalty calls were overlooked.
Rayo’s head coach, Iñigo Pérez, admitted that his team was perhaps fortunate to walk away with the full points and recognized that Giráldez’s comments about the officiating could lead to repercussions.
“There’s no question that we didn’t deserve to lose this match,” Giráldez stated. “Refereeing decisions genuinely shaped what happened on the field today.
“It’s notable that a referee from Madrid was officiating a match here; he wasn’t at his best, but you can see he tries. Situations like this shouldn’t happen, but ultimately, the referee has the final say.”
With this victory, Rayo Vallecano climbed above Celta Vigo into the upper echelon of La Liga, sitting ninth, just one point ahead of Celta in twelfth position.
