Real Madrid held to tight Rayo Vallecano derby draw
Real Madrid missed the chance to claim top spot in La Liga as they were held to a 0-0 home draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Rayo made the short Sunday night trip across the capital looking to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games and avoid a La Liga loss at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since 2000.
The home side made a strong start with former Rayo defender Fran Garcia firing over the bar, and Joselu forcing a superb stop from Rayo keeper Stole Dimitrievski, before the break.
Real Madrid looked to push on after the restart, as Rayo dug in for a point on the road, and the visitors had enough grit to get over the line.
Up next for Real Madrid is a Champions League home tie against Sporting Braga, where a victory over the Portuguese side would guarantee their last 16 place in 2024, with Rayo hosting league leaders Girona next weekend.