Rayo Vallecano 3-0 Celta Vigo: Jorge de Frutos brace, zero shots on target for Celta

Rayo Vallecano ended Celta Vigo's five-match unbeaten run in the most emphatic way available, winning 3-0 at the Estadio de Vallecas without the visitors ever troubling Emil Audero's goal. Jorge de Frutos scored twice, either side of the hour mark, and substitute Unai López added a third late on — but the number that stood out was Celta's zero shots on target across the full 90 minutes.

De Frutos opened the scoring on 36 minutes from a Sergio Camello pass, and doubled his tally on 55 minutes, this time set up by Andrei Ratiu. Substitute Gnangoro Bouare Samake, booked moments after coming on, turned provider within a minute of his yellow card, teeing up Unai López to make it 3-0 on 73 minutes.

Match facts

• 36' — Jorge de Frutos (Rayo Vallecano), assist Sergio Camello
• 55' — Jorge de Frutos (Rayo Vallecano), assist Andrei Ratiu
• 73' — Unai López (Rayo Vallecano), assist Gnangoro Bouare Samake

Line-ups

Rayo Vallecano lined up in a 4-3-3 behind Emil Audero, with Jorge de Frutos, Sergio Camello and Álvaro García leading the attack. Jozhua Vertrouwd, Alexandre Alemão, Gnangoro Bouare Samake, Giorgi Tsitaishvili and Isi Palazón all came on in the second half. Celta Vigo set up in a 3-4-3 behind Andrei Radu, with Ferran Jutglà, Hugo Gonzalez and Hugo Álvarez up front. Couhaib Driouech, Iago Aspas, Williot Swedberg, Sergio Carreira and Pablo Durán were introduced from the bench as the visitors searched for any sort of foothold.

A run of draws ends in a heavy defeat

Celta Vigo arrived unbeaten in five across all competitions, a run built on three draws and two wins that had conceded only twice in that span. None of that form carried over at Vallecas: a side averaging close to a goal a game defensively this season was outplayed enough to finish without a single shot on target. Rayo, for their part, had won once and drawn twice in their own last five, a mixed run that this result breaks decisively in their favour.

Where this leaves the table

Rayo Vallecano had gone into the round 15th on 9 points from nine games. Celta Vigo had arrived 9th on 12 points, level with Alavés and Villarreal in the chasing pack behind the European places. A result like this, with Celta managing nothing in front of goal, is as sharp a reminder as any that a draw-heavy run can mask real vulnerabilities once a stronger performance is put in against it.