Rayo Vallecano 1 : 2 Levante - Levante maintain impressive start
Posted Wednesday, September 21, 2011 by PA
Levante continued their great start to the Primera Division season with a 2-1 win at previously unbeaten Rayo Vallecano.
The visitors' confidence had clearly been boosted by their weekend victory over Real Madrid and they took a 2-0 lead into half-time thanks to headers from Valdo and Sergio Ballesteros.
Rayo improved after the break and Raul Tamudo got his first goal for the club, scoring at the second attempt after his penalty was saved by Gustavo Munua, but hopes of a comeback were shattered when Botelho was shown a straight red card 13 minutes from time.
Levante had made their best ever start to a Primera Division campaign by taking five points from the first three matches and they started with a flourish as Valdo got on the end of an Arouna Kone cross after 10 minutes to give the visitors the lead.
The Valencian side doubled their advantage with just under half an hour gone as captain Ballesteros expertly guided Jose Barkero's corner into the bottom left-hand corner.
Barkero nearly had Levante three up by half-time but his curling left-footed effort from the edge of the area sailed just wide of the target.
Rayo manager Jose Ramon Sandoval changed things at half-time by bringing on Jose Maria Movilla and Dani Pacheco and the substitutes had a positive impact on the game as the hosts began to threaten.
Piti shot just wide before Munua did well to turn away a Tamudo drive.
Rayo were then handed a way back into the game when Tamudo went down under minimal contact inside the box and referee Clos Gomez awarded a penalty.
Tamudo himself took responsibility and tapped home the rebound after Munua palmed away his spot-kick.
Botelho was then shown red for stupidly kicking out at Ballesteros but Munua had one more vital save to make, turning away Andrija Delibasic's shot from 20 yards to seal the victory.
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