Rayo Vallecano Triumphs Over Girona in Scorching LaLiga Opener

On August 18, 2025, Rayo Vallecano kicked off their 2025-26 LaLiga season with a 3-1 victory over Girona at Montilivi Stadium. The match was played under oppressive 90°F heat, which had prompted Girona to request a postponement, but LaLiga rejected the appeal.

Rayo wasted no time seizing control of the match. In the 18th minute, Jorge de Frutos pounced on a poor clearance from Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to open the scoring. Just two minutes later, Álvaro García doubled Rayo's lead with a well-struck finish.

The drama intensified just before halftime when Gazzaniga made a costly mistake. While attempting to dribble in his own box, he lost possession and fouled a Rayo attacker, resulting in a red card and a penalty. Isi Palazón converted the spot-kick to make it 3-0 to Rayo.

Girona fought back in the second half, with Joel Roca scoring in the 57th minute, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. Rayo manager Iñigo Pérez praised his team's adaptability to the challenging conditions, saying, "We expected a tough match. It went our way, thanks also to the playing field. We played a good game, but we must consider the conditions. We adapted well to the situations."

For Rayo, it was a perfect start to the season under testing circumstances. Girona, on the other hand, will be eager to put this result behind them and focus on their next match.