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With a powerful risk that the highest eight in LaLiga this season will all be rewarded with European soccer, Rayo Vallecano, at present sixth, are in an ideal place to go on and produce both Europa or Convention League soccer to Vallecas subsequent time period.
Rayo have solely certified for Europe as soon as beforehand, and that was solely on Honest play grounds again within the 1999/00 season once they completed ninth. They went on to progress by way of 5 rounds within the UEFA Cup earlier than being knocked out by LaLiga rivals Alaves that season, however solely as soon as since then have they even managed to complete within the prime half of the Spanish prime flight.
Whereas there have been intervals throughout Andoni Iraola’s profitable spell when the Vallecas trustworthy was dreaming of Europe, even the now Bournemouth boss failed to complete larger than eleventh throughout his two years in LaLiga with Rayo.
Iraola’s exit in 2023, considerably predictably sparked a downturn within the membership’s fortunes, with Iñigo Perez in the end changing Iraola’s successor Francisco, and the younger coach nearly guided Rayo to security final time period with a seventeenth place end.
With restricted funding within the squad, expectations had been low heading into the 2024/25 marketing campaign. They seemed apparent bottom-six, if not bottom-three candidates again in August, but we head into March with Rayo within the prime six, already simply three factors shy of their 38-point haul from final time period, and at present on track for his or her finest ever season.
Iñigo Perez constructing on Iraola’s success & forging his personal repute
Comparisons between Iñigo Perez and Andoni Iraola are inevitable given Perez was beforehand Iraola’s assistant in Vallecas, and would have adopted his boss to Bournemouth in 2023 had been it not for a failed UK work allow software.
Like Iraola, Perez’s adolescence in soccer got here within the Basque Nation as a participant with Athletic Membership, and like Iraola, his break into soccer administration got here early in his mid 30s.
Nonetheless, whereas Iraola endured a troublesome spell in Cyprus and extra productive intervals within the Spanish second tier with Mirandes and Rayo earlier than getting his shot on the prime stage, Perez was thrown straight into the deep-end of a LaLiga relegation battle when he took the Rayo job final February.
Whereas he initially favoured a extra cautious and fewer thrilling model of soccer than his former boss when he steered the Madrid membership to security final time period, similarities between Iraola’s Rayo and Perez’s aspect have been very evident this season.
| Rayo in LaLiga 2022/23 beneath Iraola | Rayo in LaLiga 2024/25 beneath Perez | |
| Common possession | 50.8% (ninth) | 49.9% (tenth) |
| Move completion | 78.8% (14th) | 79.5% (fifteenth) |
| Progressive passes per recreation | 36.6 (tenth) | 35.0 (tenth) |
| Lengthy passes tried per recreation | 87.6 (1st) | 75.4 (third) |
| Photographs per recreation | 13.6 (fifth) | 12.8 (sixth) |
| Common shot distance (yards) | 20.6 (1st) | 18.9 (fifth) |
| xG per recreation | 1.16 (thirteenth) | 1.20 (eighth) |
| Targets per recreation | 1.18 (twelfth) | 1.08 (thirteenth) |
Whereas refined variations can actually be discovered, and Iraola’s model of ‘organised chaos’ was maybe barely bolder than Perez’s, there are a selection of key metrics (stats through Fbref) the place the similarities are putting.
In his last season at Rayo (2022/23), Iraola’s males ranked inside one place of Perez’s 24/25 aspect’s present place by way of possession, go completion, progressive passes, pictures per recreation and targets per recreation.
Underneath the present boss, they’ve continued to tackle a lot of pictures from additional out than most sides. They’re additionally not afraid to play longer balls or crosses into the penalty space, with Rayo at present rating third in LaLiga for tried passes of 30+ yards, having ranked 1st in Iraola’s last season.
Strong defence the important thing ingredient
Rayo are averaging 1.40 factors per recreation this season, a slight enchancment on their averages of 1.11 and 1.29 of their two campaigns beneath Iraola, and a major hike on their return of 1.00 final time period.
With their attacking strengths and weaknesses loosely much like earlier years, enhancements on the again have been key to the profitable marketing campaign that Rayo are having.
As was the case final season, centre-back Florian Lejeune has clocked up extra minutes than any of their different outfielders. The Frenchman has marshalled the again 4, beginning each recreation having solely missed one final season, and his sturdy central defensive partnership with Abdul Mumin has given Perez’s aspect a extremely sturdy base from which to construct.
Round them although, there have been adjustments. Perez made an enormous name early this season, by favouring Andrei Ratiu over Ivan Balliu at right-back. Solely two gamers registered extra minutes in LaLiga for Rayo final season than Balliu, however Ratiu has greater than repaid his coach’s religion, with the 26-year-old Romanian performing properly and beginning just about each recreation.
It’s the same story at left-back, though Pacha Espino’s early-season harm did play some function in Pep Chavarria’s skill to take the place.
Rayo have additionally been capable of depend upon some of the spectacular goalkeepers in LaLiga this season. Augusto Batalla has efficiently crammed the void left by Stole Dimitrievski who joined Valencia final summer time. The 28-year-old has the third highest save share within the Spanish prime flight (of these with 10+ begins), whereas solely 5 keepers have conceded fewer targets per 90 minutes.
Targets coming from totally different sources, within the absence of a convincing striker
The evident weak point on this Rayo Vallecano aspect stays the absence of something like a convincing striker. Sergio Camello has largely been trusted with the function, however he has solely managed three targets in 21 LaLiga appearances, to go together with the three he scored from 31 outings final time period.
The return of €11m man Raul de Tomas in September 2022 has not labored out, and that’s placing it very mildly, with little clarification as to what’s going on with the striker who reportedly doesn’t even practice, not to mention characteristic in matchday squads.
With Camello at present injured, midfielder Randy Nteka is filling in up entrance, and the continuation of an issue that has been Rayo’s Achilles Heel even since Iraola’s days makes it all of the extra outstanding that they’re pushing for European qualification.
Whereas none of their gamers have netted greater than the 4 targets of winger Jorge de Frutos in LaLiga this time period, they’ve no less than had contributions from various totally different sources.
Eight totally different Rayo gamers have scored no less than two league targets, in comparison with solely seven at Actual Madrid for instance, so Perez has largely managed to beat the issue at quantity 9, by counting on the likes of De Frutos, Alvaro Garcia and Isi Palazon in terms of attacking inspiration.
The Rayo Vallecano boss can be hoping that development can proceed and with seven remaining dwelling fixtures, all of that are in opposition to groups at present beneath them within the desk, the prospect of European soccer at Vallecas subsequent season is not a pipe dream.
#driving #Rayo #Vallecanos #European #push
