Super-sub Stuani rescues a dramatic draw for relegation-battling Girona at Rayo Vallecano

[p]After qualifying for their first-ever European final last week, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rayo/23DBtCqb/"]Rayo[/a]’s confidence was as high as the clear skies over the Spanish capital, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-inigo/0Q3vjDhH/"]Inigo Perez[/a]’s side certainly didn’t waste that momentum, as they attempted to pile further pressure on their relegation-threatened visitors. [/p][p][b]Despite being inactive for the UEFA Conference League final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] later this month, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-francisco/bePNNa1r/"]Fran Perez[/a] was determined to make an impact, signalling his intent as the hosts’ stand-out attacking protagonist within the opening quarter-hour of play at Estadio de Vallecas[/b]. [/p][p]That trend continued throughout the next 15 minutes, as a visibly invigorated Perez fired narrowly off target, before another dangerous delivery from the Spaniard found the head of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camello-sergio/fFlZRkvF/"]Sergio Camello[/a]. However, Perez’s fellow countryman narrowly missed the target with his aerial effort.[/p][p]That said, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a] came close to breaking the deadlock with their first goalscoring opportunity of the match, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsygankov-viktor/8l99epoQ/"]Viktor Tsygankov[/a] fired into [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/batalla-augusto/8Wuyaqc4/"]Augusto Batalla[/a]’s arms after 38’.[/p][p]There was still time for Camello’s 45th-minute effort, which forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gazzaniga-paulo/jB3F3wGi/"]Paulo Gazzaniga[/a] into a stunning one-handed save that kept the game goalless heading into half-time.[/p][p][b]Having conceded a divisional-high 14 goals throughout the first 15 minutes of the second half this season, Girona decided their best form of defence was to attack.[/b][/p][p]Nevertheless, it didn’t initially work out very well as Tsygankov volleyed high into the stands when, at the very least, he should have hit the target.[/p][p]R[b]egardless of that, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/di-gregorio-michele/dUJmgXia/"]Michel's[/a] plan for his side appeared to have been perfectly implemented as referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernández pointed to the spot after 56’ after Pathé Ciss appeared to handle [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moreno-alex/zX83eVir/"]Alex Moreno[/a]’s pass. [/b][/p][p]Unfortunately, Moreno and the visitors were left fuming, as the man in the middle reversed his decision following a second look at the on-pitch monitor.[/p][p]It took a while, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Rayo[/a] were back on the attack with 76’ gone as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lejeune-florian/fNu1l3xc/"]Florian Lejeune[/a]’s fierce free-kick was smartly stopped at his near post by Gazzaniga.[/p][p]However, there was nothing the former Tottenham Hotspur number one could do to prevent the hosts from finally celebrating the game’s opening goal after 86’ as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alemao/ljVRztTj/"]Alemao[/a] stuck out a boot to instinctively direct his teammate’s shot into the back of the net. Ultimately, it was a tale of two substitutes, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stuani-christian/U5yv9YBB/"]Cristhian Stuani[/a] headed home Tsygankov’s delivery four minutes later to send the visiting bench into wild celebrations.[/p][p]Girona’s late equaliser means that Rayo were unable to leapfrog Real Sociedad into the UEFA Europa League qualification spot – though a UEFA Conference League final win over Crystal Palace would render the results from their remaining league games irrelevant.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="d57e7653-0f7c-4daf-bc69-84cf9dc80fc6" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="e3853f70-27e1-41aa-8197-cd9b9af5b5d1" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Meanwhile, Girona’s three-season stay in LaLiga remains up in the air, with the Blanquivermells sitting only two points above the drop zone with just 180 minutes of league action left to play.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lopez-unai/dYFtDut6/"]Unai Lopez[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Rayo Vallecano[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/girona-nNNpcUSL/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/?mid=WpWknUOM"]Check out the match summary here[/a][/b].[/p]