Rayo Vallecano 2-1 Espanyol: two early goals hold firm
Short review AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- Led for 87 minutes, nearly the whole match
- Espanyol 19 shots vs a 10.6 season average
- Rayo 2 shots on target vs a 5.6 average
Espanyol had the shots, Rayo had the lead
Rayo Vallecano protected their first-half lead to beat Espanyol. The visitors had 19 shots, well above their season average of 10.6 over five matches, but their xG per shot was just 0.08. Rayo were in front for 87 minutes and climbed to 12th.
Two early goals set the terms
Álvaro García's goal in the 3rd minute was worth +0.7 FN xPts. In the 26th minute he set up Adrià Pedrosa for the second, adding +0.4 FN xPts. Roberto Fernández pulled one back in the 54th minute from a Javier Hernández assist, but Espanyol never found the equaliser.
Player of the match
Álvaro García 8.1Dominant
He scored in the 3rd minute and assisted Adrià Pedrosa's goal in the 26th.
Álvaro García earned most of his credit going forward, and his two involvements made up Rayo's entire first-half lead. Three interceptions showed he also contributed in midfield.
Game state
1-02-02-1
Rayo Vallecano ahead 87 min · level 3 min · Espanyol ahead 0 min
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist.
3'
Álvaro García
Goal
+0.7
26'
Adrià Pedrosa
Goal · scorer +0.3 · assist Álvaro García +0.1
+0.4
54'
Roberto Fernández
Goal · scorer +0.2 · assist Javier Hernández +0.1
+0.3
90+8'
Omar El Hilali
Red card
0.0
Rayo Vallecano
Expected (last two seasons) 1.6Own moments +1.1Opponent moments −0.4Time effect +0.7→ League points won 3
Espanyol
Expected (last two seasons) 1.1Own moments +0.3Opponent moments −0.9Time effect −0.5→ League points won 0
Expected points don't add up to a fixed total (a draw is 1 + 1), so an opponent's moment isn't simply the mirror of your loss. "Time effect" is the change as the clock runs down on a lead or a chase, and isn't credited to any player.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
Rayo VallecanoEspanyol
1.52Expected goals (xG)1.49
Compared with usual
Rayo Vallecano
5 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1.6 | |
| Conceded | 1 | 2.8 | |
| xG | 1.52 | 1.3 | |
| xG against | 1.49 | 2.1 | |
| Shots | 16 | 11.8 | |
| On target | 2 | 5.6 | |
| Shots faced | 19 | 17.4 | |
| xG per shot | 0.1 | 0.13 | |
| Possession | 55% | 44.6% | |
| Passes | 450 | 349 | |
| Pass accuracy | 82% | 79% | |
| Corners | 3 | 6 | |
| Fouls | 10 | 14.2 | |
Espanyol
5 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 1 | 1.6 | |
| Conceded | 2 | 1 | |
| xG | 1.49 | 1.2 | |
| xG against | 1.52 | 1.3 | |
| Shots | 19 | 10.6 | |
| On target | 5 | 3.6 | |
| Shots faced | 16 | 11.8 | |
| xG per shot | 0.08 | 0.13 | |
| Possession | 45% | 47% | |
| Passes | 361 | 378.2 | |
| Pass accuracy | 79% | 80.8% | |
| Corners | 5 | 1.4 | |
| Fouls | 15 | 18.2 | |
Timeline
- 3'
Goal
Álvaro García league goal #2
- 26'
Goal
Adrià Pedrosa league goal #1 assist Álvaro García
- 45+2'
Yellow
Unai López
- 46'
Sub
Gabriel Moscardo → Edu Expósito
- 46'
Sub
Rafael Bauzà → Bryan Zaragoza
- 46'
Sub
Roger Hinojo → Marcos Fernández
- 54'
Goal
Roberto Fernández league goal #6 assist Javier Hernández
- 61'
Sub
Mujaid Sadick → Óscar Valentín
- 61'
Sub
Unai López → Gnangoro Bouaré
- 63'
Yellow
Marcos Fernández
- 67'
Yellow
Giorgi Tsitaishvili
- 70'
Yellow
Pathé Ismaël Ciss
- 74'
Sub
Javier Hernández → Álex Calatrava
- 76'
Sub
Sergio Camello → Alemão
- 76'
Sub
Giorgi Tsitaishvili → Fran Pérez
- 80'
Yellow
Gnangoro Bouaré
- 84'
Sub
Álvaro García → Iván Balliu
- 84'
Sub
Urko González → Pol Lozano
- 90+1'
Yellow
Alemão
- 90+8'
Red
Omar El Hilali
Category leaders
- Key passesJavier Hernández4
- Duels wonOmar El Hilali8/12
- DribblesAdrià Pedrosa2/2
- Defensive actionsAndrei Rațiu8
- Fouls wonAlemão3
#La Liga#Rayo Vallecano#Espanyol#Álvaro García#Adrià Pedrosa#Roberto Fernández
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.