Rayo win breathing space

Rayo Vallecano opened 2015 with a 1-2 victory over Getafe CF in a Madrid derby that offered plenty of chances to both sides. Álvaro Vázquez for the Azulones and Jozabed Sánchez and Raúl Baena, for Vallecas, found the net.

Both sides had good chances to score in the first half. Getafe were the first to convert with a Álvaro Vázquez free-kick that beat the wall and hit the back of the net before Toño had time to react. Léo Baptistão came close to an equaliser on several occasions, however, it was his teammate Jozabed who levelled the scores after a botched clearance from Vicente Guaita.

Gaël Kakuta had a one-on-one with the keeper when the clock read 61, but his shot was wide of its mark. A few minutes later, the French player cropped up again, this time to head a ball into the box and set up Raúl Baena's first goal for Rayo, making it 1-2.7

Rayo had a double chance to score with ten minutes left to play; Guaita made a save with his foot and a Rayo player pounced on the rebound, only for Alexis Ruano to clear the ball off the line. The win means that Paco Jémez's men have 20 points and move clear of the relegation zone. For their part, Getafe stay on 17, just four more than the penultimate team.