Player ratings as Carvajal sent off in sluggish draw

Real Madrid were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon.

The league leaders made a riotous start at Vallecas, taking an early lead through Joselu but were pegged back by a penalty from Raul de Tomas before the interval. Dani Carvajal captured the frustration after watching most of the listless display from the bench with a quick-fire pair of yellow cards in stoppage time.

Madrid remain at La Liga’s summit but Girona could close the gap to three points if they are victorious against Athletic Club on Monday.

How the game unfolded

Rayo began their first match under new manager Inigo Perez with a feverish intensity that reflects the style of a coach who worked under Andoni Iraola and played for Marcelo Bielsa. However, that eagerness left acres of space for Madrid to exploit.

In the space of nine seconds, Real Madrid raced from one penalty area to the other. Fede Valverde led the charge down the right flank, whipping the ball across a sparse penalty area for Joselu to slide in the opening goal inside three minutes.

The use of VAR in Real Madrid matches has been a hot topic in Spain this season. Carlo Ancelotti’s side had the video officials to thank for awarding Joselu’s opener after overturning an offside decision but the visitors soon fell on the wrong side of the technology.

VAR spotted that an ambitious shot from Oscar Trejo – Rayo’s first of the match – was diverted over the crossbar by Eduardo Camavinga’s raised hand. Madrid‘s former striker Raul de Tomas assumed responsibility from 12 yards and battered in his first goal of the season, pegging back his past employers after 27 dominant minutes for the visitors.

Rayo were emboldened by their surprise equaliser, penning Madrid back with the same energy but more organisation. When the referee blew the whistle for half-time, it was the Rayo contingent demanding more minutes in search of another goal.

The growing threat of the hosts was deflated by the referee’s hasty whistle but Madrid emerged from the changing rooms just as subdued. Carvajal offered the first moment of energy in a soporific second half but took the brief of bringing some fight to the contest too literally. A petulant swipe earned the substitute a second yellow card in as many minutes to sign off a drab display.

Ahead of his first match in management, Perez admitted that it would be “an honour” just to meet Ancelotti, who was taking charge of his 1,324th game from the dugout. In the end, Perez was able to…