Jorge de Frutos was the standout on a day when Rayo Vallecano finally gave Vallecas something to celebrate. His brace in the 36th and 55th minutes powered a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo in the eleventh round, and it was the kind of performance that settled the match quickly.
Rayo's long wait at home
Rayo moved to 12 points with the result, level with Celta, and the win mattered beyond the scoreline. Their first goals in their stadium had been hard to come by after a difficult start to the season in Vallecas, so getting two from De Frutos in one afternoon changed the mood around the place.
The numbers fit the story. De Frutos now has 2 league goals this season, both in this game, and his 9.13 rating against Celta was the highest individual mark on the pitch. Unai López also ended a league scoring drought that had lasted almost two years, which added another overdue note to a match that Rayo had been waiting on.
Betis keep pace near the top
The other result of note was Real Betis' 2-1 win over Malaga, a result that kept them fourth on 20 points in La Liga. They are still banking enough results to protect that position, even if the margin around them is not huge.
Isco stayed central to that win too. He provided the cross for Marc Bartra's header and was involved again in the move that led to Pablo Fornals' goal. Across the league this season, Isco has 2 goals and 1 assist in 10 La Liga appearances, with another 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 Champions League appearances.
Betis' control was never flashy, but it was enough to keep fourth place intact and keep their own momentum rolling into the next round of fixtures.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
