45
21:48
Mid-term conclusion:
In the Madrid city duel between Rayo Vallecano and Atlético Madrid it is still 0-0 at the break. The guests got off to a better start and made deals, especially in the first half hour. The best opportunity was missed by Griezmann, who did not hit the ball properly from a short distance with a clear shot. Apart from that, both sides faltered in the game, which was also due to two strong defenses. Despite all defensive compactness, the Franjirrojos in particular seemed unimaginative on the offensive and carried out the few attacks that made it very erratic. Against this background, a leadership of the Colchoneros would not have been undeserved.
45
21:47
Griezmann chips the free-kick up towards the penalty spot, where Savić heads in, but misses the goal by a wide margin.
45
21:46
Official stoppage time (minutes): 1
45
21:46
Santi Comesaña tackles João Félix from behind just before his own penalty area. Although he initially plays the ball, the referee gives the free kick and warns the Rayo player, who has already received a yellow card, very clearly.
42
21:42
Santi Comesaña (Rayo Vallecano) is shown a yellow card.
Santi Comesaña goes to the ball with his leg stretched and touches his opponent with it. This is dangerous play and a clear yellow card.
41
21:42
Relatively uneventfully, the derby now splashes towards the half-time whistle. Not much is happening in south-east Madrid at the moment.
38
21:38
However, the Vallecanos don’t even come close to dangerously in front of the Colchoneros’ goal. The underdog lacks the brilliant ideas in the game forward.
35
21:36
João Félix does not have a pass again because Rayo Vallecano defends very closely and attentively. The Portuguese must therefore try again directly. However, the left-footed shot from 20 meters completely misses the goal. Atlético hasn’t really found a way to overturn the opposing defense yet.
32
21:32
With a corner kick from the right, Antoine Griezmann finds João Félix on the far post, but he twists into the ball in a strange way and heads the ball well past the Franjirrojos’ box from close range with the back of his head.
30
21:30
Yellow card for Mario Suarez (Rayo Vallecano)
Mario Suárez comes a step too late in the center against João Félix and puts the Portuguese down, which the referee apparently interprets as a tactical foul. That’s perhaps a bit too strict for this rather harmless boarding.
28
21:29
The Franjirrojos keep trying, but lack creativity and penetrating power in the game. As soon as there is some space, Sergi Guardiola makes a catastrophic bad pass from the left wing. The Atlético defense is therefore little challenged.
25
21:25
Free-kick from the left Rodrigo de Paul pulls a free-kick up to the far post where João Félix heads in Reinildo’s back. The ball comes back to the Portuguese, but his shot from the short corner only hits the side netting.
23
21:24
A high ball slips through to Álvaro García, who hastily heads in from 15 meters instead of accepting the ball. The header comes straight to Jan Oblak, who grabs it safely.
22
21:21
Bebé grabs the ball and takes the free kick from 26 meters directly. However, the tight shot gets stuck in the wall.
20
21:20
Renan Lodi (Atlético Madrid) is shown a yellow card.
Lodi lets Trejo jump over the blade a few meters from his own penalty area and sees the first yellow card of the game.
18
21:19
It almost comes to a really strange goal. Héctor Herrera drives the ball forward through the center and then passes a little too uncleanly into the path of Antoine Griezmann, who stumbles and falls to the ground. Mario Suárez wants to clear, but shoots the falling Frenchman, from whom the ball comes really sharply into the Vallecano goal. In the end, the ball flies just past the left corner of the goal.
15
21:16
Overall, the franjirrojos are in good shape and offer little space to guests. The small club from the working-class district of Madrid has only done little in the forward game. Accordingly, the city duel is still calm.
12
21:13
After a free-kick from the left-hand field, João Félix puts his head across Antoine Griezmann, who has a clear shot from Antoine Griezmann during his direct acceptance. However, the Frenchman does not hit the target correctly. Lucky for the Vallecanos.
9
21:10
Rodrigo de Paul passes Antoine Griezmann, who pulls in from the right wing and simply hits it with his left from 22 meters. The conclusion, however, is a case for the stands.
7
21:06
Óscar Trejo lunges at Antoine Griezmann, giving the Rojiblancos a free-kick down left. Rodrigo de Paul puts the ball high in the box and Catena clears it for a corner, which fires hard at the back post but finds no taker there.
4
21:05
The Franjirrojos definitely play along. Álvaro García fills up on the left to the baseline and then crosses sharply into the center, where there is no teammate. The colchoneros can clarify.
2
21:02
The first chance belongs to the guests. Griezmann went deep after a high ball, but then had to shoot from an acute angle on the short corner. Dimitrievski is there and clears the corner, which brings nothing further.
1
21:00
Kick-off in the Madrid city duel. The Vallecanos play all in white apart from the distinctive red slash on the shirt. Atlético wears all blue. The ball rolls.
20:32
Overall, the record in this Madrid city duel speaks clearly for Atlético. The Rojiblancos have won 22 of the previous 40 competitive games against the Vallecanos. In the entire era of Diego Simeone, who took over as coach of the Colchoneros in December 2011, there has been just one defeat (11 wins, 2 draws) in 14 meetings with Rayo Vallecano.
20:24
Diego Simeone, meanwhile, was so pleased with his side’s 1-0 away win at Manchester United on Tuesday night that the Argentinian sent exactly the same side into the running again. No changes in the rojiblancos.
20:18
Atlético Madrid meanwhile comes to the south-east of Madrid with a broad chest. The Colchoneros knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League with a 1-0 away win at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and secured a place in the quarter-finals, where they meet Manchester City in April. In the league, Diego Simeone’s team meanwhile returned to fourth place after four wins in a row.
20:12
After losing six league games in a row, Rayo scored again for the first time on Sunday in a 1-1 draw against second-placed Sevilla. Accordingly, coach Andoni Iraola does not see too much need for rotation and only changes his team in one position: Álvaro García returns to the starting XI after a yellow card suspension. Randy Nteka initially takes his place on the bench.
20:06
Even currently, the record of the climber does not read too well. Rayo Vallecano surprisingly stormed the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, but failed there at Real Betis. In addition, the Franjirrojos are without a win in nine consecutive league games (draw two, lose seven). However, it could look worse in tabular form. Also because of the strong first half of the season, the Vallecanos are eight points ahead of the first relegation zone in 13th position.
20:00
In the small Madrid city derby between the club Rayo Vallecano, based in the south-eastern Vallecas district, and the reigning national champions Atlético Madrid, the Franjirrojos want to end their dry spell against the Colchoneros. Since February 2013, Rayo have not won a single one of their last 11 competitive games against the Rojiblancos (draw two, lose nine). Most recently, the Vallecanos have not scored a single goal in five consecutive duels with Atlético.
19:52
Good evening and welcome from the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas. Rayo Vallecano hosts Atlético Madrid today at 21:00 in LaLiga matchday 29.