Rayo Vallecano scored inside four minutes and looked every bit capable of taking something from Seville, but two second-half penalties turned the game on its head at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. Jon Guridi equalized from the spot in the 52nd minute, then substitute Peque did the same in stoppage time to give Sevilla a 2-1 win to open their La Liga campaign. Luis García Plaza’s side needed Kike Salas to be reduced to ten men before getting the match ball back, but they held on through a fractious final quarter to collect all three points.
Key Moments
- 4′, Álvaro García put Rayo ahead with a composed finish just four minutes in, giving the visitors a shock lead at the Pizjuán.
- 32′, Isi Palazón thought he had doubled the lead, but VAR chalked off his goal for a foul, keeping Rayo’s advantage at one.
- 45′, Isaac Romero picked up a yellow card for roughing in first-half stoppage time and was immediately hauled off at the break by Luis García Plaza.
- 52′, Jon Guridi converted a penalty to level the score at 1-1, Sevilla’s first meaningful response after a difficult opening half.
- 88′, Kike Salas was shown a red card for a serious foul, leaving Sevilla down to ten men with two minutes to play.
- 90′, Despite the numerical disadvantage, Peque stepped up and converted a second penalty in stoppage time to hand Sevilla a 2-1 win.
Tactical Breakdown
On paper, Sevilla carried the greater attacking threat over the 90 minutes: 13 total shots to Rayo’s six, an xG of 2.30 against 2.00, and nine attempts from inside the box. But possession was evenly split, and for long stretches Sevilla’s 4-2-3-1 looked blunt against a Rayo side that pressed high and made life uncomfortable in the opening period. The hosts managed just one corner kick all game and passed at exactly the same accuracy rate (73%) as their opponents, a sign that García Plaza’s side lacked width and creativity in the first half.
The double substitution at halftime was the turning point. García Plaza removed the yellow-carded Romero and brought on Nico Guillén, reshuffling the attack and injecting more directness. Within seven minutes of the restart, Sevilla had their penalty, with Guridi converting to equalize. The game then opened up as Rayo began using their own bench, withdrawing Palazón and Nteka around the hour mark in an effort to shore up their shape. The second penalty, won and converted in injury time, came after Salas’s red card added a layer of chaos to the final minutes that Rayo could not fully exploit.
Rayo’s game plan worked well for 45 minutes: stay compact, hit quickly on the break, and let García’s fourth-minute goal do the heavy lifting. The VAR disallowance of Palazón’s effort at 32 minutes proved significant in hindsight. Had that stood at 2-0, Sevilla’s task would have been considerably harder. Instead, Rayo were forced to defend a one-goal lead with diminishing legs, and their four yellow cards in the second half reflected increasing desperation as Sevilla piled on pressure.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
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Verdict
Three points from their opening game puts Sevilla level on points with early leaders Alavés and gives Luis García Plaza’s squad a positive foundation. The manner of the victory, grinding out a comeback while down to ten men at the end, will provide confidence, though the number of yellow cards collected (four) and the defensive fragility early on are areas that need addressing. Rayo, meanwhile, open their campaign bottom of the table after a performance that showed promise but ultimately yielded nothing.