MADRID, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
Rayo Vallecano beat Girona (1-3) this Friday in the match that opened the 2025/26 LaLiga EA Sports season, thanks to a great first half where the visitors' goals came due to the unfortunate performance of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
The Argentine goalkeeper missed two of Madrid's three goals at Montilivi and was also sent off in the 43rd minute, leaving Girona with a bleak second-half outlook that could have been even worse (0-3). Míchel's team, down a man, showed a different side after the break, but Joel Roca's 57th-minute goal was anything but epic.
Rayo Vallecano, who have a Conference League match this week, struck with two goals in two minutes after a start with possession but no chances, not even for Girona. A poor touch from Gazzaniga made it 1-0 for Jorge de Frutos, and the Rayo Vallecano player himself, despite the home side's defense being poor, set up a brilliant pass to Álvaro García for the second.
Before the break, Iñigo Pérez's team struck again with another, even more unfortunate performance from Gazzaniga, who tried to dribble past De Frutos and was awarded a penalty and a red card. Isi Palazón converted the 0-3 and Rayo missed out on a bigger thrashing. Montilivi's whistle stung the Catalan team, and Míchel's team, with the introduction of Portu, improved their performance on the pitch.
The Madrid team defended solidly until Roca's 3-1 lead at the hour mark. Thomas Lemar then came on, and at times, Girona thought they could salvage something from a dismal debut, which they made up for in their attitude and the result, although Rayo, who confidently took the first three points in La Liga, could have increased their tally.
