Valencia struck first with Sergi Canós converting at the 60th minute as his side edged Rayo Vallecano to climb a little higher in the table. Though the club is still distant from the European spots, there is a noticeable uptick in form and position, contrasting with the Madrid outfit’s late-season slump. They extended what is now eight winless days and a streak of four consecutive goalless matches.
Rayo and Valencia faced off in Vallecas to close the year with a game aimed at securing three points and halting a troubling run that has dragged both teams through a difficult spell. For the locals, there was a chance to pull away from danger; for Valencia, the hope was to keep pace with the European train.
The decision of the match swung Valencia’s way thanks to the ingenuity of Sergi Canós, who helped turn around a Rayo side that was losing cohesion, especially in tactical terms.
Rayo coach Francisco Rodríguez opted to reunite his two main attacking diversions, Sergio Camello and Raúl de Tomás, for the first time this season. The move functioned well enough in the opening half, controlling the tempo and posing problems for the Valencia defense, though it did not produce a goal-scoring moment that would tilt the scoreline.
Valencia’s manager Rubén Baraja sought a lift for his attack, deploying Hugo Duro and Sergi Canós as focal points, yet in the first half both appeared slightly detached and less involved than needed.
The visitors’ best opportunities came early in the match. The first came in the eleventh minute when Giorgi Mamardashvili parried Isi Palazón’s one-on-one, and the second followed in the twenty-third when Florian Lejeune stepped forward from defense to fire from close range, testing Valencia’s goalkeeper and framing the contest as a tight affair.
The pace subsided after the break, a shift that favored Valencia as they settled into a more comfortable rhythm. The ball circulated more freely through midfielders like Hugo Guillamón, Pepelu, and Diego López, while Rayo shifted players from side to side in search of gaps that did not reappear.
Your first goal with the team of your life? A GOLAZO gentleman
Which missile? @serjikanos brought victory @valenciacf in Vallecas#LALIGAenDAZN ⚽ pic.twitter.com/4UBCE2Nu2c
— DAZN Spain (@DAZN_ES) December 19, 2023
The decisive moment arrived in the 60th minute when Sergi Canós angled in from the right, pierced into the penalty area, and delivered a cross that slid past Stole Dimitrievski. His attempt did not touch the keeper, instead finding the far corner and tipping the balance in Valencia’s favor.
The goal left Rayo rattled, a squad already grappling with doubts from prior fixtures. The attack lost cohesion, and the home side found themselves short of options to respond with urgency.
Valencia capitalized on the moment and secured the points, though the closing stages brought heightened tension as Rayo pressed for an equalizer. A late scare saw Dimitrievski rise to meet a final corner, while Thierry Correia’s dismissal added to the drama, leaving the hosts to regroup as the whistle approached.