The Conference League Final Is in Four Days. The League Came First.
Rayo are going to Leipzig on Friday. Conference League final against Crystal Palace. The biggest night in the club’s history.
Monday at Vallecas they had to deal with a Girona side that needed points desperately. Two points above the drop zone. Michel’s men fighting for their lives.
Rayo scored in the 86th minute. Alemão. The Brazilian who has been their Europa weapon all season. 1-0.
Then Stuani. 90th minute. 37 years old. Still doing it. 1-1.
Both clubs got a point. Girona live to fight in the final round. Rayo go to Leipzig with a draw in their legs and a final to focus on.
Rayo Had Everything Except the Goal
18 shots. 59% of the ball. 9 corners to Girona’s 5. Rayo bossed this for long stretches and spent most of the afternoon wondering when the goal was coming.
Palazón was suspended. His absence hurt. He has been directly involved in 15 goals this season. Without him the final third lacked the spark that has defined Rayo in Europe. De Frutos was bright but inconsistent. Camello worked hard. Espino drove forward from left back repeatedly. None of it produced a goal until the 86th minute.
Gazzaniga made four saves. Some routine, some not. The best came in the 72nd when Rincón hit a substitute-on-and-immediately-involved effort that Gazzaniga got down to well. Save of the match.
The Goals
86th minute. Unai López played it across. Alemão controlled and finished low to Gazzaniga’s right. 1-0. The striker who had two goals across both legs of the Strasbourg semi-final. The man of the Conference League campaign. He did it again in the league.
Four minutes later — Stuani. Blind found him with a low cross from the right. The 37-year-old striker who had come on as a substitute turned and finished. Bottom corner. 1-1. Vallecas was stunned into silence for a moment and then erupted in competing noise.
Stuani has been scoring at this level for the better part of a decade. The finish was pure instinct. No celebration that dragged on — he knew what it meant and went back to his half quickly. Girona still had four minutes to hold on.
They held on.
Girona Are Safe. For Now.
Two points above the relegation zone with one game left. Rayo could not win this. Girona take their point and go to the final day needing to not lose.
Ter Stegen, van de Beek, Bryan Gil, Juan Carlos, Portu and Vanat — all missing. That is a devastating injury and suspension list. Witsel started in central midfield. Blind at left back. Players out of position, players carrying knocks, playing for survival.
Lemar came on in the 60th minute and gave them more. Ounahi was bright in moments. Michel has kept this group together through a season that looked like it would end in disaster six weeks ago.
One game left. One chance to make it completely safe.
Rayo Go to Leipzig
Iñigo Pérez was careful after the match. He praised the point, spoke about recovery, said nothing about the final that will consume everything at the club this week.
Leipzig. Crystal Palace. May 16. The conference League final. Rayo’s first ever European final.
No Palazón on Monday. He will be back for Friday. Alemão, de Frutos, Camello — all sharp. This team knows how to win European nights. They have done it all season.
A draw in the league, a point in the bank, four days to prepare. It could be worse.
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Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Girona La Liga Round 35 | Monday, 11 May 2026 | Estadio de Vallecas, Madrid | Att: 11,783
Goals: Alemão 86′ (RAY) | Cristhian Stuani 90′ (GIR)
Absences: Luiz Felipe, Isi Palazón suspended (Rayo) | Van de Beek, ter Stegen, Juan Carlos, Bryan Gil, Portu, Vanat (Girona)
Rayo XI: Batalla | Chavarría, Lejeune, Mendy, Ratiu | López, Gumbau | De Frutos, Camello, Espino | Alemão Subs: Rincón (for Espino 68′), Pérez (for Gumbau 58′), Díaz (for Camello 68′)
Girona XI: Gazzaniga | Martínez, Francés, Vitor Reis, Blind | Beltrán, Witsel | Tsygankov, Ounahi, Joel Roca | Moreno Subs: Lemar (for Tsygankov 60′), Echeverri (for Ounahi 60′), Stuani (for Moreno 85′), Blanco (for Beltrán 85′)
Stats: Shots RAY 18 GIR 9 | SOT 5-5 | Possession 59.3%-40.7% | Corners 9-5 | Saves RAY 3 GIR 4
HT: 0-0 | FT: 1-1 Table: Rayo 11th (44 pts) | Girona 17th (40 pts, 2 pts above drop)
