MADRID, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Real Madrid paid for defensive mistakes as they were held to a 3-3 draw at lowly local rivals Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, missing the chance to move above leaders Barcelona in LaLiga. Rayo stunned the champions with an early header by Unai Lopez after four minutes and grabbed a two-goal lead in similar fashion when Abdul Mumin nodded home from a corner in the 36th. But a thunderous Federico Valverde strike from long range put Real back in the game three minutes later with Jude Bellingham netting a first-time effort from inside the box to level the scores just before the break.
Rodrygo gave Real the lead with a deflected strike from the edge of the area in the 56th but Isi Palazon moved between defenders Antonio Ruediger and Aurelien Tchouameni to deflect a cross into the net and secure the hosts a valuable point. Real are second on 27 points from 17 matches, one behind Barca who host Leganes on Sunday when Atletico, in third on 35 from 16 games, play Getafe. Rayo are 13th with 20 points.
Sign up here. Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Fernando is a Brazilian national who joined Reuters in 2021 after spending a decade in Madrid working for some of the world’s biggest sports media.
As a multi-media journalist, he has covered everything from Olympics, World Cups and Champions League finals to Super Bowls and UFC fights for over 20 years. He is a spo.
