Rayo Vallecano 3-0 Drita Player Ratings: Florian Lejeune 9/10 Rated as Dominant Display Secures an Important Victory for Host

It was a night of pure dominance at the Estadio de Vallecas. From our perspective watching the game, Rayo Vallecano put on a clinic, dispatching a struggling Drita side with a commanding 3-0 victory. This Europa Conference League encounter felt decided long before the final whistle. The home side just had too much quality all over the pitch.

What stood out to us was how Rayo Vallecano controlled the tempo from the very beginning. They were relentless, probing and pushing until the inevitable breakthrough came. It was a spectacular long-range effort from Florian Lejeune that opened the floodgates in the first half. After the break, the pressure didn't let up. Gerard Gumbau added a second, and a substitute, Pacha Espino, put the cherry on top. Drita fought with what they had, but they were simply outclassed, a fact reflected throughout our player ratings for this match. Here are Sportsdunia's Rayo Vallecano vs Drita player ratings.

Rayo Vallecano Player Ratings vs Drita

Check out the Rayo Vallecano player ratings for the Rayo Vallecano vs Drita fixture.

Goalkeeper

Augusto Batalla - 7.0: A quiet evening for the most part, but he was alert when needed. Made two crucial saves, particularly the one against Arb Manaj in the second half, to preserve his clean sheet. A confident and reliable presence.

Defenders

Florian Lejeune - 9.0: Simply sensational, and our man of the match without a doubt. He opened the scoring with an absolute rocket from distance. Defensively he was a colossus, making a staggering nine clearances and providing an assist. The yellow card was the only tiny blot on an otherwise perfect copybook.

Luiz Felipe - 7.5: What stood out to us was his incredible composure on the ball. He completed 98 of his 102 passes, acting as the starting point for so many attacks. He was defensively solid and read the game beautifully. A very classy performance.

Iván Balliu - 7.5: The captain led by example. He was a rock on the right flank, winning all five of his duels and contributing well in attack. His energy and commitment were palpable throughout the match. A true captain's display.

Jozhua Vertrouwd - 6.5: He had a steady, if unspectacular, game. He did his job without any fuss and kept things tight on his side of the pitch. Didn't offer as much going forward as Balliu but was defensively sound before being substituted.

Midfielders

Gerard Gumbau - 8.5: An absolute maestro in the middle of the park. He dictated the play, sprayed passes around with ease, and capped his performance with a well-taken goal. He was the engine room of the team and Drita just couldn't get near him.

Unai López - 8.0: A whirlwind of energy for the 65 minutes he was on the pitch. He won a remarkable nine duels and was absolutely everywhere, breaking up play and driving his team forward. A fantastic, all-action display before getting a deserved rest.

Pedro Díaz - 7.0: The silent operator. His pass accuracy of 97% shows how clean and tidy he was in possession. He kept the team ticking over and was a vital link between midfield and attack. He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet with a few efforts.

Forwards

Sergio Camello - 6.5: It was a frustrating night for the forward. His work rate was immense as always, and he created a couple of good opportunities for his teammates. However, he just couldn't find that clinical edge in front of goal himself.

Andrei Rațiu - 6.5: A bit of a mixed bag from our perspective. He was electric when running at defenders, completing three dribbles, but his end product was often lacking. Lost the ball far too many times, which stalled some promising attacks.

Fran Pérez - 7.0: A very lively and intelligent performance for 65 minutes. He was a constant threat, created two chances and bagged himself an assist. We were a little surprised to see him subbed, as he looked like one of Rayo's most dangerous players.

Substitutes

Isi Palazón - 6.0: Came on when the game was already won. Provided some fresh energy but didn't have a defining impact on the proceedings.

Álvaro García - 6.0: Similar to Palazón, he ran hard but struggled to get heavily involved with the result largely secured.

Óscar Valentín - 6.5: Brought on to solidify the midfield and did his job effectively, helping Rayo see out the clean sheet with ease.

Pacha Espino - 7.5: The perfect impact sub. He hadn't been on the pitch long before he found himself in the right place to score the team's third goal. A dream contribution.

Óscar Trejo - N/A: Came on for the final few minutes with little time to make an impression.

Manager

I. Pérez Soto - 8.0: He got his tactics absolutely spot on. His team was prepared, motivated, and executed the game plan to perfection. His substitutions were timely and effective, highlighted by Espino's goal. A flawless night of management.

Drita Player Ratings vs Rayo Vallecano

Check out the Drita player ratings for the Rayo Vallecano vs Drita fixture.

Goalkeeper

Laurit Behluli - 4.5: A really difficult night for the keeper. He was left exposed by his defense, but the stats confirm an error leading to a goal. From our view, he looked shaky and his confidence seemed to drain as the goals went in.

Defenders

Besnik Krasniqi - 5.5: The captain fought bravely against a relentless tide of attacks. He tried to organize his backline but they were simply overwhelmed by Rayo's movement and quality. A thankless, exhausting task for him.

Blerton Sheji - 5.0: He really struggled to cope with the pace and pressure. His passing was poor, he lost most of his duels, and ended up with a yellow card for his troubles. A night to forget before being subbed off.

Egzon Bejtulai - 5.5: To his credit, he made six clearances, throwing himself in front of everything. However, he was part of a defense that was carved open too easily on three occasions. He just couldn't stem the flow.

Unknown Player - 5.0: It's never a good sign when a defender is anonymous, and that was the case here. He failed to impose himself on the game and was part of a unit that conceded three goals. A very tough evening.

Midfielders

Albert Dabiqaj - 6.0: One of the few Drita players to show some composure. He worked tirelessly and used the ball reasonably well when he had it. Fought a losing battle against a superior midfield but never gave up.

Almir Ajzeraj - 5.5: He was hooked at halftime after failing to make any real impact on the game. He couldn't get a foothold in the midfield battle and was largely bypassed.

Ilir Mustafa - 6.0: He was combative and tried to disrupt Rayo's rhythm, drawing a couple of fouls. However, being dribbled past three times showed how much pressure he was under. He was always chasing shadows.

Raddy Ovouka - 5.5: He showed flashes of creativity, setting up two chances, but his performance was marred by losing possession 19 times. He was a defensive liability and struggled to track back effectively.

Forwards

Arb Manaj - 6.5: The brightest spark in a dark blue shirt. He was Drita's only consistent threat, forcing two good saves from Batalla with some sharp shots. He looked dangerous and deserved better support from his teammates.

Blerim Krasniqi - 5.5: An incredibly isolated and difficult role to play. He worked hard off the ball but lost possession 20 times and was beaten in ten of his eighteen duels. He was feeding on scraps all night long.

Substitutes

Liridon Balaj - 5.5: Introduced at halftime to try and change the game's momentum, but he was unable to make a significant difference against a dominant Rayo side.

Salifu Ibrahim - N/A: Not on the pitch long enough to receive a rating.

Mike Arthur - N/A: A late cameo with the game already over as a contest.

Engjëll Sylejmani - N/A: Brought on in stoppage time.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match Goes to Florian Lejeune