Match Report: Sadiq salvages valuable draw at Vallecas | OneFootball

Valencia CF drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano on Matchday 32 match of the LALIGA EA SPORTS season at Vallecas, as Umar Sadiq scored a second half equaliser.

The team started out with the idea of dominating the game by building their attacks from the back. As a result, two minutes in, they created their first chance. Gayà got up the left flank and crossed the ball for Hugo Duro to finish, but his header went just wide of the right post.

Three minutes later, Valencia CF had another opportunity, when Diego López ran into the Rayo Vallecano area and connected with Duro. He got ahead of defender Ratiu, although his effort went astray.

Rayo Vallecano tried to push their press higher up, and the first chance for the home team came from a cross from the right flank that Tárrega cleared.

However, near the halfway point in the first period, Valencia CF again threatened with a header from Enzo Barrenechea, after a short corner between Almeida and Rioja.

Minutes later, Jorge De Frutos headed another cross towards goal for Rayo, but Giorgi Mamardashvili made a solid save.

Against the run of play, just before the interval, Rayo Vallecano got the first goal of the game, with a header from Nteka inside the six-yard box hitting Tárrega  and going in after a cross from Pedro Díaz.

With the score at 1-0, after the break, Valencia CF came out looking to turn things around, although Rayo Vallecano had the first chances on goal.

Coach Carlos Corberán brought on Rafa Mir and Fran Pérez to give the team speed and directness, and Gayà had the opportunity to level with a shot wide from inside the box, following a combination between Barrenechea and Diego López. In the following move, at the other end, Álvaro García shot into Mamardashvili's hands.

In the 70th minute, Javi Guerra found Fran Pérez on the right, and the winger crossed into the box for Mir, who came very close to equalising but struck over the crossbar.

In a blow for Valencia CF, Barrenechea had to be substituted with a shoulder injury, after a challenge for the ball with Óscar Valentín.

Five minutes later, Valencia CF's efforts were rewarded. Jesús Vázquez crossed from the left wing, and Sadiq fired home second time around -having initially hit the post- to restore parity at 1-1.

Another Sadiq move came close to the team scoring a second, but he dragged it across the six-yard-box without a recipient connecting. On a subsequent counterattack, Fran Pérez crossed, and Sadiq himself came very near to reaching the ball in a similar position.

The game concluded 1-1, and Valencia CF moved up to 37 points for the season. Next up for them is a Tuesday game at Mestalla against RCD Espanyol.

1. RAYO VALLECANO: A. Batalla, Andrei, Pep Chevarría, Pedro Díaz, Pathé Ciss, Nteka (Guardiola, 83’), Gumbau (U. López, 71’), Álvaro, De Frutos (Embarba, 71’),Óscar V. (Isi, 83’) and Lejeune.

1. VALENCIA CF: Mamardashvili, Foulquier, Mosquera,Tárrega, Gayà (J. Vázquez, 66’), Barrenechea (Pepelu, 74’), Javi Guerra, DiegoLópez, L. Rioja (F. Pérez, 55’), A. Almeida (Sadiq, 66’) and Hugo Duro (Rafa Mir,55’).