UD Lanzarote couldn't beat Rayo Vallecano at the Sports City despite starting the match with Nene scoring his fifth goal of the season. This advantage didn't last long until the Madrid team equalized, an equality that in the second half wasn't broken in favor of the visitors due to the lack of accuracy of their forwards in two specific plays.
Photos: Sergio Betancort
The teams starred in a tight first half, an intense start during which the "rojillos" showed their most competitive and ambitious character against what is cataloged as the best squad in Group I. The Madrid team didn't handle the ball comfortably, with the game developing in the midfield amidst a fratricidal fight to take control of the game. With this panorama came the first dangerous local opportunity, an entry into the area by Nene that ended in a goal thanks in large part to the slowness of goalkeeper Tete. That seemed to open the way for a local victory, however, just six minutes later Collantes demonstrated the quality he possesses by surprising goalkeeper Alberto from afar with a shot that went into the corner.
The team coached by Pepe Mel came out much more plugged into the game after the restart, after precisely having starred in a good end to the first half. It is true that the game was more anodyne and less vertical, although Rayo Vallecano took the reins of it, subjecting Unión Deportiva to constant, although not critical, dominance. In the second half, the opportunities were scarce, but the clearest ones came from the Madrid side: thus, a header from Enguix in the area was about to sneak in if it weren't for Alberto's great save under the posts, who cleared the danger. Equally clear was the last opportunity for striker Pachón, who crossed a ball served by Míchel excessively in the 82nd minute.
Unión Deportiva couldn't surprise on the counterattack as the Rayo defenders closed any wing route and "dried up" the inside players Yeray Ortega and Nene. Through the center, the high balls were not problematic for the tall Madrid center backs.
UD Lanzarote finally considered the draw as good against a rival that coach Paco Gutiérrez defined in a subsequent press conference as "the best team that has passed through the Sports City this season". The "rojillos" play next Sunday against UD Vecindario with the absence of Pereira due to suspension. They currently occupy fifth place, with the same 26 points as UD Fuerteventura (6th) and Pontevedra (4th).
Match details:
- UD LANZAROTE: Alberto, Javi Jiménez, Koke, Juanma, Dani Mayo, Pereira, Brenes (Fredrik, 51´), Nene, Gómez (Víctor Ramos, 69´), Yeray (Toñito, 90´) and Aníbal Zurdo.
- RAYO VALLECANO: Tete, Llorens, Amaya, Carlos, Baquero, Míchel, Enguix, Albiol, Rubén Reyes (Yuma, 85´), Collantes and Pachón.
GOALS: 1-0 (min. 20) NENE takes advantage of a goalkeeper's indecision and beats him low. 1-1: (min. 26) COLLANTES with a strong and distant shot beats goalkeeper Alberto high.
REFEREE: The Andalusian referee Mariscal Sánchez showed yellow cards to the locals Javi Jiménez and Pereira (misses the next match) and to the visiting players Llorens, Amaya and Rubén Reyes.
INCIDENTS: About 800 people attended the Lanzarote Sports City on a sunny morning to enjoy this match of the 15th league day broadcast by Televisión Canaria.
