Nine-man Rayo Vallecano hold on to beat Racing Santander 3-2 as Sergio Camello scores twice
Sergio Camello scored twice either side of an Andrei Ratiu goal, and Rayo Vallecano survived two red cards to beat Racing Santander 3-2, despite Racing scoring inside the first four minutes through Sergio Canales.
Racing Santander were ahead inside four minutes through Sergio Canales, and Rayo Vallecano still had to survive the closing stages with two fewer players. In between, Sergio Camello made sure it didn't matter.
Canales' early strike was answered by Andrei Ratiu on 17 minutes, before Pablo García restored Racing's lead on 28. Sergio Camello then took over, levelling on 43 and putting Rayo in front for good two minutes into the second half.
Down to nine, still ahead
Rayo Vallecano finished the match with nine men after Fran Pérez and Jorge de Frutos were both sent off late on, but the damage to Racing had already been done. The hosts held on for a third straight home league win of the campaign.
Match facts
- 4' — Sergio Canales (Racing Santander)
- 17' — Andrei Ratiu (Rayo Vallecano)
- 28' — Pablo García (Racing Santander)
- 43' — Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano)
- 47' — Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano)
- 85' — Fran Pérez (Rayo Vallecano) sent off
- 89' — Jorge de Frutos (Rayo Vallecano) sent off
| Stat | Rayo Vallecano | Racing Santander |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 48.8% | 51.2% |
| Total shots | 16 | 9 |
| Fouls committed | 15 | 12 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 2 |
| Red cards | 2 | 0 |
What's next
Rayo Vallecano climb to 13th on 4 points, still building after a slow start to the campaign. Racing Santander drop to 12th, also on 4 points, just above Rayo on goal difference. Both sides are back after the international break, with Rayo needing to sort out their discipline before then.
Two different Septembers
Camello's brace turned out to be the high point of a mixed stretch for Rayo Vallecano. Real Madrid beat them 4-1 in the capital a week later, but Rayo settled things down with back-to-back results that followed: a 2-1 win over Espanyol built on Álvaro García's third-minute opener, then a 1-1 draw at Osasuna in which Camello cancelled out Ante Budimir's 100th career La Liga goal. Seven rounds into the season, Rayo Vallecano are 10th with 8 points from two wins, two draws and three losses, with 11 goals scored and 16 conceded.
Racing Santander's response to that defeat was a genuine recovery, at least for one match. They beat Alavés 2-1 at El Sardinero on 12 September, ending the Basque club's unbeaten start to the season. It did not last: a 7-2 defeat at Barcelona followed, in which Raphinha scored a hat-trick, and then a 5-0 loss at Celta Vigo. Those two results alone account for twelve of the 21 goals Racing have conceded in seven league matches so far — the leakiest defence of any side that has played a full set of fixtures this season. Seven rounds in, Racing sit 15th with 7 points from two wins, one draw and four losses.
Where matchday 7 leaves them
The two sides that shared five goals at Vallecas on 5 September sit five places and a single point apart in the table three weeks on. Rayo Vallecano are 10th on 8 points, with a goal difference of -5. Racing Santander are 15th on 7 points, and their goal difference of -10 is the worst of any club in the division — worse even than 19th-placed Valencia's -9. Neither side is close to the European places or the relegation zone this early in the season, but Racing's defence, which has now conceded 21 goals in seven matches, is the more pressing concern of the two clubs heading into the international break.
Results since
| Date | Rayo Vallecano | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | at Real Madrid | L 1-4 |
| Sep 15 | vs Espanyol | W 2-1 |
| Sep 19 | at Osasuna | D 1-1 |
| Date | Racing Santander | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | vs Alavés | W 2-1 |
| Sep 16 | at Barcelona | L 2-7 |
| Sep 19 | at Celta Vigo | L 0-5 |
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