Rayo Vallecano back to winning ways after losing their last match against Majorca for the tenth date. On this occasion, on the 11th, they found Alavés, their rival managed to defeat by the slightest difference and with one man less from the 22nd minute. James Rodríguez remained on the bench for the second game since he arrived at the club in Madrid.
As expected, the Colombian midfielder, once again, did not start the game as a starter. It is worth mentioning that during the week, the ’10’ he suffered muscle overload that prevented him from completing trainingbut he came again the next day without any physical discomfort. At a press conference, the coach Íñigo Pérez confirmed that James was available for the commitment.
Due to the expulsion James lacked minutes
Very early in the game, when the 22nd minute was underway, Tony Martinez seemed to escape alone on the left wing, but the Ghanaian Abdul Mumin He miscalculated and took down the rival team’s attacker. The action was reviewed in the VAR and the central referee declared the infringement and the red card to the defender due to an obvious goal scoring act.
The game became very physical for those from Vallecas, Well, they had to occupy the spaces better and put pressure on them, which made one think that the man from Cucuteño was not going to get minutes.. A very even first half that left the second half open for both teams.
Pérez’s first three changes were precisely to better defend and attack with speed when the plays demanded it. This is how the score came in the 80th minute, when after a quick start from the back, Adrian Embarba overflowed on the left wing and then gave way to Gerard Gumbauwho took a shot, crashed into the post and then into the back of the Silvera goalkeeper, so it counted as a goal itself.
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With one player less and the result in their favour, it was clear that Rayo were going to try to defend well. Pathé Ciss and Ivan Balliu entered, thus throwing the five changes and fading the hope of entering for James Rodríguez.
Thus, James finished two games in which he was called up, but did not have any minutes. The first was against Girona on matchday 7 and now on matchday eleven. The balance is only five games were played, for which he played 123 minutes and in one he was a starter (against Leganés, where he finished as the best player).
Another Rayo game It will be on Tuesday, October 29 against Villamuriel (First Regional Division) for the first round of the Copa del Rey. Due to rotation issues and giving minutes to other players, there is a chance that James will play as a starter.