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)
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)
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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)
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)

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.



Postecoglou Says Spurs’ Inconsistency Down to Him

Tottenham Hotspur's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Postecoglou Says Spurs’ Inconsistency Down to Him

Tottenham Hotspur's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou took responsibility for his side's inconsistency this season after they fell to a shock 2-1 home loss to promoted Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday.

Having eliminated Manchester City in the League Cup before beating Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League last weekend, Spurs were stunned by Galatasaray 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday.

On Sunday, boos rang out from Spurs fans at the final whistle as Ipswich claimed their first Premier League victory since April 2002.

The defeat left Spurs in 10th place with 16 points from 11 matches.

"The inconsistency we're having this year, ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and something I need to try and fix and see if I can help the players in that area," Postecoglou told reporters.

The Australian did not think Spurs' Thursday-Sunday run of fixtures was the reason for their struggles.

"If we were seeing that we'd probably feel it more at the end of games and we're not feeling it at the end of games," he added.

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and striker Dominic Solanke both left Sunday's game due to injury but Postecoglou thought both players had avoided serious problems.

"I think Pape is all right. He just got a bit of a knock," he added. "Dom jarred his knee, it was pretty sore but he wanted to continue. Hopefully it is nothing serious."