Rayo Vallecano defeated Kosovo's Drita 3-0 at Vallecas Stadium, securing a historic direct qualification to the Conference League round of 16 with goals from Florian Lejeune, Gerard Gumbau, and Luis Alfonso Pacha Espino. The Madrid side finished fifth in the league phase with 13 points, bypassing the playoff and ensuring home advantage in the return leg. The win, in a festive atmosphere, recalls the 2000/2001 UEFA Cup memories.
Rayo Vallecano celebrated with a goal feast their historic qualification to the Conference League round of 16, beating Drita 3-0 in a match played this Thursday at Vallecas Stadium. The Madrid team, led by Unai López in the absence of Isi Palazón and Álvaro García, dominated from the start with 79% possession in the first half. Florian Lejeune opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a powerful long-range shot that beat goalkeeper Laurit Behluli.
The second half saw Drita try to react, with a shot from Arb Manaj stopped by Augusto Batalla in the fourth minute. However, Rayo sealed the win in the 65th minute thanks to a mishandled backpass that Gerard Gumbau converted from close range. Luis Alfonso Pacha Espino, fresh off the bench, rounded off the victory with a crossed individual shot, repeating his performance from the previous week against Jagiellonia Polish.
With this win, Rayo reaches 13 points and qualifies fifth, behind Strasbourg (16), Rakow (14), and Sparta Prague (13). They avoid the playoff and will play the return leg at home in the next round. The Rayo fans, fully engaged, relived the glory from 25 years ago in the UEFA Cup, in a match that will be etched in the club's memory. The defense, led by Lejeune and Luiz Felipe, was solid against Kosovar attempts.
