Mbappé Leads Real Madrid Past Rayo as Diomande Makes Full Debut

MADRID — Real Madrid defeated suburban rivals Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, maintaining its flawless home record across all competitions this season. The result leaves Madrid second in La Liga, level on points with leaders Barcelona and holding a game in hand.

Real Madrid made four changes after Tuesday’s 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Inter Milan. Yan Diomande, the club’s £120 million summer arrival, received his full debut on the wing, while Antonio Rüdiger, Bernardo Silva, and Álvaro Carreras returned to the starting lineup.

Rayo also altered its team after a 3-2 victory over Racing Club a week earlier. Emil Audero, Gnangoro Bouaré, and Giorgi Tsitaishvili were inserted into the starting lineup.

Álvaro Carreras won the penalty that opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Rayo defender Florian Lejeune brought him down inside the box. Kylian Mbappé, La Liga’s leading goalscorer last season, converted from the spot.

Three minutes later, Mbappé supplied Carreras inside the penalty area, and the left-back finished from close range to make it 2-0. Jude Bellingham added a third in the 35th minute, taking Vinícius Júnior’s pass at the edge of the area and firing home his third goal of the season.

Rayo Vallecano pulled one back in the 39th minute after Sergio Camello prodded the ball into the net. It was Camello’s sixth goal in his last four matches and brought his seasonal total level with Barcelona’s Raphinha for the joint-highest mark in La Liga.

Madrid had responded to a 1-0 away defeat by Real Betis on Sept. 4, and Mbappé completed the recovery in the 91st minute. He finished a second-half counter-attack with a low shot into the bottom corner, securing his two-goal performance and Real Madrid’s fourth consecutive home win of the campaign.

The victory also extended Real Madrid’s unbeaten home record against Rayo Vallecano to 19 matches in all competitions, comprising 14 wins and five draws. The run dates to January 1996, when Brazilian forward Guilherme Alves scored twice in Rayo’s last league victory at the Bernabéu.

Rayo has scored in seven of its last nine encounters with Real Madrid but has won only once in the clubs’ last 11 meetings since April 2019. That victory was a 3-2 home success in November 2022. Madrid is unbeaten in the last eight meetings overall, with four wins and four draws, and has won three consecutive matches as the host team.

Four of the previous six fixtures between the sides ended in draws, including a goalless match at the Bernabeu in November 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the fixture’s all-time leading scorer with 12 goals, followed by Karim Benzema with 11.

Rayo’s defeat continued its defensive problems. The club has not kept a clean sheet through five matches this season and has recorded only one shutout in its last nine league games. Rayo has conceded 10 goals in La Liga, fewer only than Elche’s 12, and remains among the division’s most penalized teams after recording 58 fouls.

Rayo also matches Getafe and Sevilla with a division-high two red cards.

Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Antonio Rüdiger, Álvaro Carreras, Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde, Yan Diomande, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé.

Substitutes: Andrii Lunin, Raúl Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Eduardo Camavinga, Endrick, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espí, Brahim Díaz, Thiago Pitarch.

Rayo Vallecano XI: Emil Audero, Andrei Rațiu, Florian Lejeune, Pathé Ciss, Adrià Pedrosa, Unai López, Gnangoro Bouaré, Pedro Díaz, Jorge de Frutos, Sergio Camello, Álvaro García.

Substitutes: Adrián Molina, Dani Cárdenas, Alemão, Mujaid Sadick, Iván Balliu, Pelayo Fernández, Marco de Las Sias, Marash Kumbulla, Óscar Valentín, Samu Becerra, Marco Román.