Inigo Perez praises Rayo Vallecano captain after Strasbourg win – ‘He played with a fractured cheekbone’

“When a team deserves more, like Rayo, and you win 1-0, we should be lamenting the missed opportunity, but there’s a tendency to forget that we’ve won a European semi-final. The first half demanded seriousness, we were able to talk at halftime, and the second half was extraordinary. It’s only fair and honest to show ourselves some appreciation and value the victory.”

AEK Athens experience will help in Strasbourg

So far in the knockout stages, Rayo have won both of their first legs, before losing the second, but getting through on aggregate. Against AEK Athens, Rayo went three goals down, the tie even on aggregate, before Isi Palazon scored the decisive goal. Perez felt the experience was useful in his preparation for the second leg, against a Strasbourg side that overturned a two-goal deficit against Mainz in the previous round.

“It’s useful because we hadn’t experienced it before. You learn and take note, although I don’t want to say it won’t happen again. They’re coming off a comeback and they know what scenario they want in the second leg. Both scenarios coincide. The result may be meager, but I think a better result would have propelled us towards what happened in Athens.”

‘I’ve never seen anything like it before’ – Perez on Oscar Valentin

As it turned out, captain Oscar Valentin had fractured his cheekbone in the first half of the game, but continue playing through the pain. He lived up to his surname, which translates as brave.

“Oscar’s display of courage deserves recognition. That’s what this team is all about. We must build ourselves on actions like this. He has a fractured cheekbone, and he tells me he’s perfectly fine. He doesn’t complain or make excuses at all. He tells me again at half-time he’s fine. He plays the second half flawlessly. I’ve never seen anything like it on a football pitch. That’s what this team, this dressing room is.”

Rayo travel to the Coliseum to face Getafe on Sunday afternoon at 16:15 CEST, before turning their attentions to the return leg against Strasbourg next Thursday at 21:00 CEST.