Real Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw at Rayo Vallecano in Spanish League

Rayo Vallecano's Spanish defender #05 Aridane Hernandez heads the ball next to Real Madrid's Spanish forward #14 Joselu during the Spanish league football match Rayo Vallecano de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at the Vallecas stadium in Madrid on February 18, 2024. (AFP)

16:10-18 February 2024 AD ـ 08 Sha’ban 1445 AH

Real Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw at Rayo Vallecano in Spanish League

Real Madrid could see its Spanish league lead reduced after being held to a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Joselu put Madrid ahead only three minutes into the match against its southern Madrid rival, but the hosts equalized through Raúl de Tomás in the 27th.

The draw moved Madrid six points clear of second-place Girona, which visits fifth-place Athletic Bilbao on Monday.

Third-place Barcelona, which won 2-1 at Celta Vigo on Saturday with a stoppage-time penalty kick converted by Robert Lewandowski, was eight points behind Madrid. Fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which routed Las Palmas 5-0 at home Saturday, was 11 points off the lead.

It was a disappointing result for Madrid against a Rayo team that had lost three consecutive league matches and hasn't won in seven straight.

Real Madrid remains unbeaten in its last 19 league games, with 14 wins and five draws. It failed to score only once, in a 0-0 draw against Rayo in November.

Juventus Coach Motta Faces Sleepless Night After Atalanta Thrashing

Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta. (Reuters)

10:16-10 March 2025 AD ـ 10 Ramadan 1446 AH

Juventus Coach Motta Faces Sleepless Night After Atalanta Thrashing

Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 9, 2025 Juventus coach Thiago Motta. (Reuters)

Juventus coach Thiago Motta said it would be difficult to sleep after his team were hammered 4-0 at home by Atalanta on Sunday in a major blow to their slim hopes of the Serie A title.

Juventus's five-game winning streak in the league came to an end and they remain fourth in the table with 52 points, nine behind leaders Inter Milan, in a disappointing season after they were knocked out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.

"Atalanta deserved to win and we knew our opponents' game plan," Motta told reporters.

"Today we are disappointed and it will be difficult to sleep. Everything can influence us, because we are Juventus. The fans, like the press, have the right to think what they want.

"The facts say that we are in this position. This team has an enormous margin for growth. After the first goal we suffered a lot. We are quite disappointed and now we have to start thinking about the next game."

Juventus had not suffered a Serie A home defeat by four or more goals since 1967, but Motta said last month's 4-2 loss on penalties to Empoli in the Italian Cup quarter-finals was more painful.

"It is a defeat we do not like, but I do not put it on the same level as the defeat to Empoli," he said. "They are different situations. We needed to keep our balance and we didn't do that, but it's partly down to a lack of experience in the side."

Juventus play at Fiorentina next Sunday.

Real Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw at Rayo Vallecano in Spanish League

Real Madrid Held to 1-1 Draw at Rayo Vallecano in Spanish League

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Juventus Coach Motta Faces Sleepless Night After Atalanta Thrashing

Juventus Coach Motta Faces Sleepless Night After Atalanta Thrashing

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