Rayo Vallecano took a firm step toward the Conference League group stage by beating Neman Grodno 0-1 in the first leg of the qualifying round. The match, played in Szeged, Hungary, due to the impossibility of playing in Belarus because of UEFA's political restrictions, was marked by constant rain. Álvaro García was the hero of the day for the Rayista side, scoring the only goal of the match in the 77th minute. The home team, without the crowd's support, failed to slow the Spanish attack, which controlled most of the match.
Rayo's attacking persistence culminated when García took advantage of a long pass, controlled the ball, and got past the opposing defense to seal the score. The Neman Grodno goalkeeper, with a questionable performance, failed to stop the Spaniard's well-placed shot. The Belarusian team had one last chance to equalize in stoppage time, but Ivan Sadovnichiy's header was deflected by Augusto Batalla, the goalkeeper for Rayo. With this advantage, the Madrid team is shaping up as the favorite to secure their advancement in the return leg.
Read the full news article on The Country.
