Real Madrid Stars Crumble Against Rayo Vallecano: Crisis Erupts at the Bernabéu

Real Madrid's difficulties at Anfield carried over into their encounter with Rayo Vallecano, resulting in a scoreless stalemate at Vallecas on Sunday evening.

The Madrid powerhouse fell short of their usual high expectations in their final La Liga fixture before the November international break. While Real Madrid appeared secure defensively, they struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities.

Having scored in every previous match this campaign, Los Blancos have now gone two consecutive games without finding the net. Xabi Alonso's squad showed a lack of ingenuity and sharpness in attacking areas, marking their first stalemate of the 2025–26 season.

Although they surrendered points, Real Madrid maintain their position at the summit of La Liga, though Barcelona could narrow the deficit to merely three points with a win over Celta Vigo.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.5: Performed admirably when needed, though his involvement was minimal throughout.

RB: Federico Valverde—6.8: Will be relieved this is presumably his final appearance in the right-back position for a while.

CB: Raúl Asencio—6.9: Delivered a dependable display throughout. Asencio utilized his strength to neutralize Isi Palazón and executed several crucial defensive interventions flawlessly.

CB: Dean Huijsen—6.5: Showed vulnerability during counter-attacking situations. Huijsen was caught in poor positioning multiple times that nearly proved costly for Real Madrid, prompting Alonso to substitute him at the interval.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.6: Struggled initially against Andrei Rațiu's speed, but recovered to deliver another impressive performance on the left side.

CM: Arda Güler—8.2: Excelled at orchestrating the offensive play, though he'll regret the opportunities he failed to convert.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.4: Recovered well following his Liverpool disappointment. Camavinga covered extensive territory, completed nearly every pass and provided excellent support to the forwards.

RW: Brahim Díaz—6.9: Comfortable in possession, but offered minimal threat in attacking zones. Rodrygo would have been a superior choice to complete Alonso's front line.

AM: Jude Bellingham—7.2: Real Madrid's most threatening player on the field. Bellingham generated multiple excellent chances that teammates wasted, and remained the primary player making runs into the penalty area.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.4: Consistently made penetrating runs along the left wing throughout the match, but his crosses and shots lacked the precision needed to break the deadlock.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—6.7: Invisible during the opening period and only became involved when moving to wider positions in the second half. The French striker failed to assert his dominance against Rayo Vallecano.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Endrick, Gonzalo García.

Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Augusto Batalla; Andrei Rațiu, Florian Lejeune, Nobel Mendy, Pep Chavarría; Unai López, Pathé Ciss; Jorge de Frutos, Pedro Díaz, Álvaro García; Isi Palazón.

Subs used: Alfonso Espino, Fran Pérez, Óscar Valentín, Gerard Gumbau, Alemão.

Real Madrid Player of the Match: Arda Güler

Player of the Match: Augusto Batalla (Rayo Vallecano)

Rayo Vallecano 0–0 Real Madrid—How It Developed at the Estadio de Vallecas

Real Madrid displayed continued effects from their midweek loss to Liverpool on Sunday evening. The Spanish champions were sluggish to find their rhythm, permitting Rayo Vallecano to maintain extended periods of control and challenge Thibaut Courtois, frustrating Alonso from the sideline.

Nearly 20 minutes elapsed before Los Blancos established dominance in the contest. Smooth combinations in midfield from Eduardo Camavinga, precise through passes from Jude Bellingham and explosive runs down the left from Vinícius Júnior put Rayo Vallecano under pressure.

The away side had an excellent opportunity to open the scoring in the 22nd minute. Bellingham directed a dangerous header across the goalmouth, but Vinícius Júnior's close-range attempt was denied by an outstanding save from Augusto Batalla.

Despite controlling the remainder of the first period, Real Madrid couldn't find the breakthrough at Vallecas. Alonso's team lacked coordination and creativity in the attacking third, an issue that continues to trouble the Spanish giants.

Los Blancos emerged from halftime appearing disconnected in attack once more. Only when Kylian Mbappé, who endured a quiet opening half, moved to wider areas did the visitors finally create some promising chances.

Nevertheless, nothing Real Madrid produced came close to troubling Batalla in goal. Even the second-half introductions of Rodrygo and Trent Alexander-Arnold failed to ignite the visitors' underwhelming offensive display.

A weak penalty appeal in the dying moments from Mbappé was the only brief moment of hope for Los Blancos before the final whistle sounded. Real Madrid have now failed to win away at Rayo Vallecano since the 2021–22 campaign.

Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats

Rayo Vallecano vs. Real Madrid Full Time Statistics