Rayo thrash Atletico who 'deserved to lose'

Leganés — Rayo Vallecano produced a statement 3-0 derby victory over Atlético Madrid on Sunday, condemning their capital neighbours to a fourth consecutive La Liga match without a win and widening the gap to leaders Real Madrid to 15 points.

Forced to stage the contest at Estadio Butarque because of ongoing pitch problems at Campo de Vallecas, Inigo Perez’s side seized the moment in front of a raucous temporary home crowd. Fran Perez broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval, steering in Andrei Ratiu’s low cross, before Oscar Valentin punished a Clement Lenglet error to double the advantage. Nobel Mendy added a deserved third in the 76th minute, capping a clinical display that lifts Rayo to 16th place and deepens the gloom around Diego Simeone’s reshuffled line-up.

The defeat, Atlético’s heaviest of the domestic campaign, drops them to fourth and intensifies scrutiny after a week that began with a swaggering 4-0 Copa del Rey rout of Barcelona. Simeone made sweeping changes with Wednesday’s Champions League play-off against Club Brugge in mind, but the gamble backfired spectacularly as Rayo dominated every phase.

Jan Oblak pulled no punches in his post-match assessment. “It seems like the league has slipped away; we can’t lose games like this and we can’t play a game the way we did today,” the goalkeeper told DAZN. “Today they were much better—congratulations to them. We lost and deserved to lose.”

Simeone offered a more measured reaction, refusing to question his players’ application. “I don’t share that view,” he said of Oblak’s critique. “The team gave what it could. They were better, but there is no need to criticise the team in terms of effort or desire. Let’s think about what’s coming on Wednesday.”

Rayo, battling off-field unrest over facilities and club governance, channelled their frustrations into a cohesive performance that belied their lowly standing. “This is a battle-hardened team that adapts well to circumstances,” coach Perez said. “Today’s match was very tough, both because of the opponent and because of our own institutional and sporting situation.”

The result leaves Atlético scrambling to refocus on European qualification via La Liga while keeping one eye on continental progression, whereas Rayo savour a rare derby triumph that could prove pivotal in their fight to avoid the drop.