Match Report
11th against 8th, but level on points: Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol both had 7. Espanyol had been under-performing their position — 15th on five-round form against 8th in the table. Scoring rates set the scale: Rayo Vallecano 1.67 scored and 2.5 conceded per game, Espanyol 1.5 and 1.17, with the league averaging 1.54.
22 meetings are on record — 8 won by Rayo Vallecano, 11 by Espanyol, 3 drawn, at 2.91 goals per meeting.
Estadio Municipal de Butarque, capacity 12,454, hosted the game. With 89 matches recorded and 1.9 yellow cards per game, I. Díaz de Mera Escuderos was the man in the middle. Rayo Vallecano led 2-0 at the break, and the second half added 1 goal for the 2-1 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Rayo Vallecano: Álvaro García (3'), Adrià Pedrosa (26') · Espanyol: Roberto Fernández (54')
Key stats
Possession: Rayo Vallecano 55% · Espanyol 45% · Total shots: 16-19 · On target: 2-5 · Corners: 3-5