LALIGA: Table And Match Review After Saturday's Games

At Estadio de Vallecas, Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano displayed their offensive power in a thrilling La Liga match that concluded in a tense 3-3 tie. The host team shocked Real Madrid with an early strike in the fourth minute. Rayo took the lead when Unai López glanced over a cross from Jorge de Frutos, who had been playfully chasing Fran García down the right side.

Rodrygo gave Madrid a chance in the 14th minute after a sluggish start, but Augusto Batalla made a spectacular diving save. In the 36th minute, Rayo doubled their advantage thanks to an unmarked Abdul Mumin who headed the ball past an unguarded Kepa Arrizabalaga from a corner. This loss, though, spurred Los Blancos into action.

With a resounding long-range shot in the 40th minute, Federico Valverde levelled the score. With the instincts of a natural striker, Jude Bellingham levelled the score just seconds before halftime by nodding in Rodrygo's cross. Real Madrid thought they had finished their comeback when Arda Güler headed in Luka Modrić's lovely assist in the 51st minute. However, video assistant referees saw offside and disallowed the goal.

After a remarkable solo effort in which he dribbled past a defender and slammed a strong shot into the net, Rodrygo resumed his unflappable streak and put Madrid ahead in the 55th minute. The 62nd minute saw Rayo get an equaliser as they continued to fight. Florian Lejeune sent in a cross, and Isi Palazón was the first to react and slide it in following a poorly cleared set piece. Even though the first hour was jam-packed with action, the second half saw neither side score.

Rayo remained in thirteenth position, and Real Madrid lost the chance to overtake Barcelona for first place in the league as a result of the result. Meanwhile, in a touching contest at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Jesús Navas' final home game for the Andalusian team ended in a 1-0 victory for Sevilla over Celta Vigo. As a tribute to his incredible career spanning over twenty years, fans gave the 39-year-old club hero a joyful farewell.

After 2024 comes to a close, he plans to retire. Sevilla squandered the whole of the first half attempting to gain ground in what was supposed to be a fast-paced match. Pablo Durán and Dodi Lukébakio of Celta Vigo tested Sevilla's defence early in the encounter. The greatest opportunity for the hosts' Hugo Álvarez to score came when his header struck the post. Just before halftime, Durán had a golden opportunity, but he sent the ball crashing over the bar with just the goalie to beat.

On the other side of the field, Álvaro Fernández made a solid stop from a powerful strike by Saúl Ñíguez. Since neither team scored in the first half, the home crowd's impatience for a second-half equaliser was understandable. After the break, Sevilla came out stronger, and Manu Bueno came close to breaking the tie with a long-range attempt that just missed. In the 61st minute, which was just a few minutes subsequent, Bueno scored.

After his looping goal put Sevilla ahead-assisted by a deflection from Fran Beltrán-the home crowd erupted into ecstasy. At the top of the evening's performance was the substitution of Navas, who changed the game, in the 70th minute. Standing ovations were extended to the veteran fullback by teammates, opponents and spectators as he bid farewell to the stadium where many memories had been forged. His emotion was evident.

Navas, visibly moved, expressed his gratitude to the supporters before taking his place on the bench. Celta Vigo gave it their all, but Sevilla's careful defence allowed them to hold on to a narrow lead. After beating Celta Vigo, Sevilla took over first place in La Liga. They have already won four straight games across all leagues.

The most up-to-date Spanish Laliga standings are below: