Sevilla Spoils a Nervy Vallecas Night with En-Nesyri’s Double
Sevilla walked away from Vallecas with a valuable three points after a hard-fought 1-2 victory that ended Rayo Vallecano’s five-game winning run. The Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri struck twice, opening the scoring in the first half and sealing the win just before the break, as the visitors exhaled and climbed the table sighting a healthier mood amid a season that hasn’t always smiled on them at home. The result left Rayo without a win in their stadium since September of last year and dropped them further from the safety zone. This match unfolded as a tense affair, with both teams desperate to claim momentum in a league where a few goals can tilt confidence for weeks to come — especially at home in Vallecas.
El Rayo Vallecano entered the game grounded by a brutal defeat to Atletico Madrid in recent days. The club hoped to put the disappointment behind them and brighten their supporters’ spirits at the end of a long week. Across the touchline, Sevilla arrived with a challenge to their hosts, looking to flip the table and restore a more favorable sense of momentum after a difficult stretch that had stretched several weeks without a victory. En-Nesyri returned to the attack post Africa Cup of Nations, and his presence instantly offered a glimmer of danger for the home defense.
The Madrid outfit showed early intent, seemingly pressing to set the pace from the outset while Sevilla adjusted to the rhythm and the lively energy inside Vallecas. The opening warning arrived in the 17th minute when Isaac Romero collected the ball, moved with purpose, and spurned a chance to test the goalkeeper. The moment signaled the kind of high-intensity exchange that would set the tone for a game decided by small margins.
In the next phase, Sevilla did not wait long to convert their pressure. A swift sequence on the left ended with Romero feeding a precise cross that found En-Nesyri, who finished with a composed left-foot finish to beat the Macedonian keeper. The visitors seized the initiative and showed the template of a compact away performance: quick transitions, clinical finishing, and disciplined defending.
Rayo answered ten minutes later through Isi Palazón, leaping to steer a header past Marcos Acuña as the ball skimmed off a cross from the left. It was a crucial equalizer that rebalanced the contest and injected a new energy into Vallecas, where the crowd roared their team back into contention and kept the atmosphere electric for the remainder of the half.
After the break, Sevilla again asserted themselves with menace, though Rayo matched the challenge with intent and a stubborn defensive shape. En-Nesyri became the central figure again, capitalizing on a superb pass from Romero to slip the ball beyond the keeper just before the half-time whistle. The halftime interval gave Sevilla a moment to regroup, while Rayo contemplated how to reinitiate the attack with renewed focus and tempo.
The restart brought a flurry of chances for Rayo as they sought to turn the game in their favor. Pep Chavarría, Sergio Camello, and Isi Palazón all tested the goalkeeper within a matter of minutes, signaling a renewed effort to force an equalizer. A powerful strike from Camello was superbly saved by Nyland, illustrating the fine margins that defined the night in Vallecas. The match then drifted into a tight, attritional phase where every moment counted and the clock pressed the home side into making tougher decisions under pressure.
Rayo’s coach, who observed from the stands, watched his side push hard against the clock and a resilient opponent. Raul de Tomas remained a focal point of the attack, but a late offside decision and a disallowed goal dampened the mood and left the scoreboard unchanged. The game’s tempo remained high as the minutes wore on, with both teams trying to exploit the counterattack while managing fatigue and nerves that began to surface as the end approached.
Isaac Romero also had his moments, driving forward from midfield and testing the defense with dangerous runs. A shot at goal in the 72nd minute hit the post as Vallecas waved the danger away — a moment that underscored the fine line between disappointment and the joy of a late equalizer. The closing stages saw Rayo push relentlessly, but Sevilla’s organization and physical resolve kept them ahead, and the visitors capitalized on counter-attacking opportunities to control the final phases.
As the final whistle blew, the result left Rayo 13th in the table with 24 points, a reminder of the challenges they face in turning Vallecas into a fortress. Sevilla rose to fifteenth on twenty points, a distance that still leaves both teams with work to do as the season progresses. The match, played before a crowd of about 14,000, highlighted the emotional intensity of league football in Madrid’s outskirts and the constant battle to translate aerial pressure into meaningful, consistent results.
Data sheet:
Rayo Vallecano: Dimitrievski; Balliu, Aridane, Lejeune, Chavarría; Unai López, Óscar Valentín; Espino, Álvaro García, Isi; and Camello with de Tomas added later. Substitutions included Nteka, Trejo and Crespo.
Seville: Nyland; Navas, Badé, Marcao, Acuña; Ocampos, Agoumé, Sow, Soumaré; Isaac Romero and En-Nesyri. Substitutions included Hormigo, Mejbri, Pedrosa, and others.
Goals: 0-1 En-Nesyri (M18), 1-1 Palazón (M28), 1-2 En-Nesyri (M45).
Judge: Francisco José Hernández Maeso. Notations: Crespo and Dimitrievski received cautions late in the game; Isaac Romero, Acuña, and Mejbri also picked up warnings.
Events: The match was part of the EA Sports League matchday 23, watched by approximately 14,000 spectators at Vallecas Stadium. This encounter showcased the persistent struggle for consistency and the fine margins that shape outcomes in a tightly contested campaign. — Fuente: Marca