In the 24th round of the 2025/26 La Liga season, Atletico Madrid traveled to face Rayo Vallecano. They ultimately suffered a shock 0-3 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, dropping one place to fourth in the standings.

Against Rayo Vallecano, Atletico Madrid were outplayed from the start. In the 14th minute, Isi Pallasson's free kick from the right side of the field was blocked by the wall, and Gerard Gamba's follow-up shot inside the box was saved by Jan Oblak. In the 31st minute, Alfonso Espino broke through from the left wing into the box and unleashed a dangerous low shot, but Oblak made a brilliant save. In the 34th minute, Pallasson delivered a diagonal pass from the edge of the box, and Ilias Akhomah's follow-up low shot was again blocked by a combination of Oblak and Navel Molina. In the 35th minute, Fran Perez cut inside from the left wing and unleashed a shot from outside the box, but unfortunately, the angle was too central and was easily caught by Oblak.

In the 40th minute, Rayo Vallecano finally broke the deadlock: André Latiou cut inside from the right wing and passed the ball back to Perez, who slotted it home to give Latiou the lead. In the 45th minute, Pallason's powerful shot inside the box forced Oblak to parry, and Oscar Valentin capitalized on the rebound to extend the lead.

After the break, Atletico Madrid actively sought opportunities to equalize. In the 58th minute, Thiago Almada made a run down the middle and delivered a through ball, but Nico González's shot from a tight angle on the left side of the penalty area was saved by Augusto Battaglia. In the 62nd minute, González and Almada combined to break through the opponent's defense, but his final shot was again denied by Battaglia.

In the 76th minute, Álvaro García delivered a long cross from the right wing, and Nobel Mendy headed it in at the far post to seal the victory. At the final whistle, Rayo Vallecano secured a valuable 3-0 win, earning three crucial points in their fight against relegation and currently holding a one-point lead over the relegation zone.

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