First-half blitz sees Real Madrid cruise past city rivals Rayo Vallecano

[p]Having scored four times in each of their two home league matches this season, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real[/a] were halfway to achieving that feat again inside 17 minutes here. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carreras-alvaro/ALGEzlma/"]Alvaro Carreras[/a] played an important role in both, first poking the ball away from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lejeune-florian/fNu1l3xc/"]Florian Lejeune[/a] to invite a rash challenge in the box, which was punished by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a]’s composed spot-kick.[/b][/p][p][b]Just three minutes later, Lejeune made an equally costly error, gifting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vinicius-junior/CbwQ4Mws/"]Vinicius Junior[/a] possession with a wayward backpass, which soon led to a neat interchange between Mbappe and Carreras, with the former laying the ball off for the latter to slot home.[/b][/p][embed guid="b3c223e8-bcab-4af1-ad65-8148ef63cfa0" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2098859907881550258" social-type="twitter" /][p]Fielding his third different goalkeeper this season, Benat San Jose had debutant [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/audero-emil/fwyieeh8/"]Emil Audero[/a] to thank for keeping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rayo/23DBtCqb/"]Rayo[/a] in the contest midway through the first half, as the stand-in recovered well after spilling a rasping Vinícius shot to push the ball away from an incoming Mbappe.[/p][p][b]Los Blancos were in an unstoppable mood, and breezed into a three-goal lead before the break thanks in large part to Vinícius’ direct run, which ended with a pullback for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bellingham-jude/QNvlPm7s/"]Jude Bellingham[/a] to produce a controlled side-foot finish.[/b][/p][image alt="Real Madrid - Rayo Vallecano match momentum" id="01982988-6180-4ecb-b02d-a0b33b53a84b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="641143cb-772c-4c10-9cb7-2af08c2ab5af" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/courtois-thibaut/MVExOq3n/"]Thibaut Courtois[/a] wasn’t a total bystander in the first period, being forced into action on a couple of occasions, although there was little he could do but hope as the ball whistled past his fingertips and cannoned off the post from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diaz-pedro/2i6AHS2l/"]Pedro Diaz[/a]’s rifled effort after the restart.[/p][p][b]That proved to be a warning that the hosts didn’t heed, as Rayo scored for the 12th LaLiga game in succession after pinching the ball high up the pitch and working it to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camello-sergio/fFlZRkvF/"]Sergio Camello[/a], whose improvised toe poke rolled inside the far post.[/b][/p][embed guid="464553bb-45e2-4a71-95f6-7936a8493fdc" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2098861454589890702" social-type="twitter" /][p]An open period of play followed, and Rayo pushed hard in pursuit of a route back into the contest, [b]yet that soon gave way to a late Real flurry in which Mbappe added gloss to the scoreline, arrowing in a precise finish after a swift breakaway, and duly registering his 14th LaLiga brace for Los Blancos.[/b][/p][p]A dominant display means Real have still lost just two league encounters at home since the start of last season (W19, D1), going level on points with arch-rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a], albeit having played an extra game at this early stage of the campaign.[/p][p]Meanwhile, Los Franjirrojos’ travel sickness continues, having tasted victory on only two occasions in their last 16 LaLiga trips (D4, L10).[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/real-madrid-W8mj7MDD/?mid=r37Zj4oI"]Check out the match summary with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][infobox id="14dacc89-3234-4d6e-b854-e74d05c9dce3" /]