Sevilla claimed a 2:1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the opening round of the La Liga regular season at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Friday evening. The hosts took the lead through Álvaro García early on, before Jon Guridi's penalty restored parity after a contentious VAR intervention. Rayo appeared to have snatched a point when Peque scored from the spot in stoppage time, but a second penalty seven minutes later sealed the result for Sevilla.
And here's the thing about the opening exchanges: the game looked settled after García's fourth-minute strike, yet nothing was decided until the final whistle. Rayo's Ivan Palazón had a goal cancelled by VAR in the thirty-second minute, and Isaac Romero's penalty was also disallowed eight minutes later. The visitors drew breath, but the momentum never truly shifted in their favour despite controlling possession.
To be fair, the statistics tell a story of missed opportunities on both sides. Sevilla registered four shots on target against six off target, while Rayo managed three on target from three attempts off target. The expected goals figures—2.19 for the hosts and 1.89 for the visitors—suggest neither team created clear-cut chances in abundance, though the penalties proved decisive.
By then, the match had descended into chaos. Kike Salas received a red card in the eighty-eighth minute after collecting two yellow cards, leaving Sevilla to defend for the remainder. Peque converted a penalty in the ninetieth minute, but a second spot-kick seven minutes into added time ensured the visitors could not salvage anything from the encounter.
The result leaves Sevilla seventh with seven points after four matches, while Rayo Vallecano sit fourteenth on four points. The hosts had lost to Bayer Leverkusen in their previous outing but showed resilience after losing Isaac Romero to injury, with the substitute stepping into the void. Rayo's away record remains fragile, having suffered three defeats on the road this season.