Real Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw by Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday, extending their lead at the top of the table to five points despite a frustrating performance. The result came after a midweek Champions League defeat to Liverpool and marked the first clean sheet kept against the leaders this season. Rayo Vallecano's resolute defense and goalkeeper Augusto Batalla's saves frustrated Madrid's attack.
Real Madrid traveled to Estadio de Vallecas aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 Champions League loss to Liverpool on Tuesday, but they could only manage a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano. Xabi Alonso's side, who had won 10 of their 11 league matches prior to this— their only defeat coming against Atletico Madrid in September—struggled to break down the hosts. Madrid sit five points clear of Barcelona, who could reduce the gap to three points with a win over Celta Vigo later on Sunday. Rayo, in 12th place with 15 points, have now gone unbeaten in their last six home league games against fellow Madrid sides, recording one win and five draws.
The visitors managed just five shots on target, with Kylian Mbappe, the La Liga top scorer with 13 goals, limited to one effort in a quiet afternoon. Real have now failed to win at Vallecas for the fourth year in a row and were kept scoreless for the second straight game after previously finding the net in every league match this season. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was largely untested, while Rayo defended resolutely to secure their first clean sheet against the leaders.
Augusto Batalla stood out for the hosts, making several key saves to deny Madrid. Post-match, Alonso remained calm amid criticism, stating, “Is it a crisis? We know where we stand. I believe that in both good and bad times, we need to know how to balance things out. The season is long and the demands are extremely high, but we live with it and prepare for it.” He added, “After Anfield, we wanted to play a better game today. It’s always difficult to impose our style of play at Vallecas... La Liga is one game at a time, and [on Sunday] we couldn’t win.” Alonso emphasized growth: “I’m concerned about wanting to keep growing, keep improving. To make positive and constructive self-criticism. It’s November, there’s still a long way to go.”
Rayo made several changes to their lineup from a recent 3-2 Conference League win over Lech Poznan, starting Batalla, Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Chavarria, Pedro Diaz, Ciss, Unai Lopez, De Frutos, Isi, and Alvaro Garcia. Madrid, with two alterations from the Liverpool game, fielded Courtois, Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Guler, Bellingham, Brahim, Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr.
