Vallecas rocks as Rayo Vallecano secure UEFA Conference League progression | OneFootball

Rayo Vallecano have secured progression to the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League following a 4-0 victory over Neman Grodno in the second leg of their play-off round tie, which secured a 5-0 success on aggregate.

After a 1-0 victory in last week’s first leg, Rayo knew that they only needed to avoid defeat at Vallecas to book their place in the league phase draw. But there was no resting on their laurels from Inigo Perez’s side, who looked to add to their advantage in the early stages.

Rayo dominated possession throughout the first half, and minutes before the interval, they thought they had their reward when Sergio Camello found the back of the net. However, after a couple of VAR checks, it was ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

Image via Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

Rayo take control in the second half with three strikes

However, Rayo were not to be denied, and just beyond the hour mark, they did make the breakthrough. A defensive error allowed Jorge de Frutos to play in Alvaro Garcia, and after scoring the only goal last week, he got his second of the tie, which sparked wild scenes inside Vallecas.

And things would go up a level less than 60 seconds later as Rayo doubled their lead. Camello was denied by VAR in the first half, but he finally got his goal on 65 minutes, which had the hots 3-0 up on aggregate. And in the 81st minute, de Frutos put the icing on the cake as he found the back of the net, before Garcia added his second of the night to make it 4-0.

Rayo and their supporters can now look forward to Friday’s league phase draw, during which they will find out their next five opponents in the UEFA Conference League – that campaign will get underway in October, but for now, they can enjoy a satisfying evening’s work.