The clock is ticking down - Rayo are around 60 seconds away from a famous victory over their local rivals. Madrid are unable to get the ball into the final third of the field and look completely devoid of any ideas.
90' +3
U. Agbo gets yellow.
Agbo kicks out at Brahim Diaz, who is furious with the challenge and has to be told to calm down by captain Marcelo. The referee books Agbo.
90' +2
Kroos' injury took up a couple of minutes and there have been six subs in the second period, explaining the six additional minutes, which the home supporters are unhappy about. We could play another six hours and Madrid would probably still not score, in truth.
90'
This is poor from Madrid, yet again. A free-kick is won 30 yards out and Kroos picks out nobody in particular with his clipped cross, which is headed clear. Rayo are not exactly holding on as we enter six minutes of added time.
88'
Tito and Moreno both concede free-kicks in quick succession to break up play. There are now just two minutes of normal time left for the hosts to see through.
86'
Marcelo gets yellow.
Madrid are racking up yellows galore now as Marcelo enters the referee's book.
Medran's corner is flat but Guerra reads it well and swoops in to turn it towards the target, but the header has a little too much on it and goes over the crossbar.
85'
Ó. Trejo enters the game and replaces José Pozo.
Trejo replaces Pozo, who has been lively throughout the game for the home side.
84'
Rayo are not allowing their opponents to build any sort of momentum. There have been a number of niggling challenges and, when Madrid do get the ball forward, the end product is too often lacking. Kroos' cross is easily dealt with.
82'
Lucas Vázquez enters the game and replaces M. Díaz.
Mariano Diaz has not really made the most of his opportunity today. He is replaced by Vazquez for the closing stages.
Minute
Description
81'
Play has been constantly broken up over the last 10 minutes and there is no sign of that changing as Zidane is about to make another change. The game almost has a pre-season feel to it at the moment, which has been the case for many of Madrid's matches over the last month.
79'
Dani Carvajal gets yellow.
Carvajal enters the referee's book for taking the free-kick too quickly.
78'
Álvaro García enters the game and replaces Bebé.
Alvaro Garcia is on for Bebe in the home side's latest change. The outgoing player has put in a terrific shift.
77'
Álvaro Medrán enters the game and replaces Mario Suárez.
This is a smart change from Perez, replacing booked midfielder Suarez with Medran to help see out the game.
76'
Kroos' out-swinger cannot be turned goalwards by one of his team-mates and Vallecano are able to get the ball clear. Only temporarily, though, as it soon comes back. Madrid are finally starting to build some momentum.
74'
Isco enters the game and replaces L. Modrić.
Modric, who has not had his finest of matches today, is replaced by Isco with around 15 minutes to go. Madrid win themselves a corner as Moreno gets across to help the ball behind.
73'
Marcelo clips the ball towards the back post and Brahim Diaz, seemingly caught out by the bounce of the ball, is unable to bring it under control.
72'
Pozo is flagged for offside when chasing down Bebe's pass. Bebe has done well to push Madrid back over the last few minutes, coming out on top in his personal battle with Carvajal down the left.
70'
Agbo fouls Brahim Diaz and Madrid have a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Bale does well to get the ball over the wall, but Alberto Garcia is well positioned and is able to help the ball over the crossbar.
68'
WAYWARD! Bebe is certainly not afraid to take on shots from any range or angle. This latest attempt - his fourth of the match - is well off target. Suarez is pushing his luck, meanwhile, as he kicks the ball away after the whistle was blown.
66'
The match has become incredibly flat, which will suit the home side just fine. They have a one-goal lead and are closing in on what would be a famous victory for them. Zidane is holding off from making his next change.
64'
Zidane looks to be readying another change with less than half an hour to play. Madrid have not really improved in the second half and do not look like scoring at the moment, as an aimless long ball fails to find its intended target.
62'
M. Díaz gets yellow.
Diaz catches Ba and is shown the fourth yellow card of the game. There has been far more of an edge to the match since the restart.
61'
Brahim Díaz enters the game and replaces Dani Ceballos.
There has been very little between the sides all match and possession remains near enough split down the middle. It is Rayo who have arguably looked the more threatening in an attacking sense, so Jemez will argue that his side's lead is a deserved one.
Ceballos is replaced by young midfielder Brahim Diaz as Zidane changes things around slightly.
57'
ANOTHER COURTOIS SAVE! Bebe's venomous strike from distance is pushed to one side by Courtois, who was taking no risks with that one. Rayo's players are being given far too much time and space in the final third.
53'
Ceballos has the ball at his feet in the box and he initially does well to work a shooting position. He is crowded out, though, and the shot does not arrive.
52'
Embarba nearly catches out Courtois with his attempted cross. The Madrid keeper did well to get across and slap the ball behind at his near post as it was creeping in.
51'
Rayo win themselves a corner but the in-swinger at the front post is headed clear. Up the other end, Kroos tries to play in Bale but his team-mate is offside.
49'
SHOT FROM RANGE! Bale charges inside from the right-hand touchline and gets plenty of power behind his shot, which is too central to beat Rayo skipper Alberto Garcia.
48'
Bebe tramples on Carvajal's boot and a free-kick is awarded to the visitors. For those expecting a response from the visitors early in the second half, that has not been the case so far - they look well off the pace.
46'
RESTART! Madrid, winners in each of their last 17 LaLiga games against today's opponents, get us back underway at the Estadio de Vallecas.
45' +4
HALF-TIME: RAYO 1-0 MADRID
45' +3
Carvajal sumo wrestled Pozo to the ground when 'defending' that corner. He is fortunate that it was not referred to VAR.
45' +2
Three minutes have been added on at the end of the first half, the first two of which we have played with little incident. A cross from the right is blocked behind by Vallejo for a corner, which Courtois plucks out of the air.
45' +1
Guerra concedes a needless free-kick with a challenge on Kroos, giving Madrid a chance to get the ball into the box at the end of the first half. Kroos floats it towards the penalty spot but it is hooked clear at the second attempt.
44'
Carvajal turns Moreno and the space opens up for him, but he overhits his pass for Kroos. The final ball is lacking for Madrid once again today.
43'
Mario Suárez gets yellow.
Suarez catches Ceballos from behind, getting nowhere near the ball, and is rightly shown a yellow card. Bale is now back on the field after receiving some treatment.
41'
CLOSE! Ceballos does well to make contact with Carvajal's delivery, sending the ball marginally wide of the far post. That is pretty much as close as Madrid have come since falling behind.
40'
Modric has given the ball away seven times in this first half, including two or three times in a dangerous area of the field. Madrid are well off the pace - not for the first time since Zidane returned.
39'
GOAL DISALLOWED! Mariano gets on the end of Bale's pass and brilliantly lifts it over Alberto Garcia, but he is offside and probably knew it before taking on the shot.
37'
The referee does not believe Mariano has a case to answer for that incident in the box so the corner is taken. The set-piece is disappointing and Rayo are able to regroup.
36'
Bale does not have the confidence to try to take the ball around Tito. He instead attempts to cross the ball and it is blocked behind for a corner. Before it can be taken, the referee is checking a possible red card offence after Mariano shoved Galvez in the face.
34'
Embarba and Carvajal go in for a 50-50 challenge and the latter comes out second best, seemingly jarring his knee. He seems OK to continue for the time being but that is one to keep an eye on.
32'
Varane gets on the end of Kroos' corner but cannot divert the ball on target. Rayo work the ball forward but the lively Pozo cannot quite bring it under control 18 yards from goal and Madrid turn possession over.
30'
Embarba is dispossessed on the edge of the box by Marcelo before he can get a shot away. The visitors attack down the left through Bale, whose cross towards the six-yard box is headed behind by Moreno.
28'
L. Modrić gets yellow.
Modric is cautioned for catching Moreno in the face with a stray hand. That did not warrant the reaction it did from the Vallecano midfielder, who made the most of it to say the least.
27'
Madrid have not offered a great deal in response. Bale is the latest to be flagged for offside to halt this latest attacking move. The forward was denied from a one-on-one position before the referee pulled play back to award Rayo a penalty.
25'
That Rayo goal was not exactly against the run of play - Jemez's side have been positive throughout, knowing that they need all three points today if they are to avoid the drop. Zidane's men look a little rattled.
23'
Penalty goal scored by Adri Embarba for Rayo Vallecano!
GOOOOAAALLL!!! RAYO 1-0 MADRID! The division's bottom side take the lead as Embarba makes no mistake from the penalty spot. Courtois gets nowhere near the ball and now Madrid have it all to do against their local rivals.
22'
Jesús Vallejo gets yellow.
Vallejo is shown a yellow card to add insult to injury following the awarding of the penalty.
20'
That save from Courtois, using the full use of his frame, really could be massive in the context of this game. Vallecano have been steadily building momentum and that has to be considered a wake-up call for the visitors, who struggle for goals without Benzema on the field.
16'
Vallecano have more than held their own so far. With a little over 15 minutes played there has been one shot on target apiece, with Marcelo and Pozo both coming close to scoring. In terms of possession, it is split 50-50 down the middle.
14'
Guerra, making his first start in LaLiga this season, is caught a couple of yards offside when trying to get on the end of Pozo's pass. That came moments after Mariano started his run in behind a fraction too early, also being flagged by the linesman.
10'
CHANCE FOR RAYO! The game has become incredibly open as, moments after that chance for Mariano, Pozo brings the ball under control at the opposite end of the field and tests Courtois. The Madrid goalkeeper has his angles covered.
9'
BLOCK! Carvajal makes a good run down the right and pulls the ball back for Mariano, whose shot is blocked by Agbo. The young forward perhaps could have lifted it over his sliding opponent.
8'
This is a good spell for Vallecano as they get a cross into the box which Varane gets a touch to. Moreno tries to lift it back into the middle but Madrid deal with the danger.
6'
FIRST SAVE! Marcelo works the ball on to his weaker right foot and attempts to curl it in from 25 yards, but Alberto Garcia is able to push it away. The loose ball is hooked goalwards by Bale but it lacks precision.
5'
Madrid are dominating possession in the early stages. A searching pass from deep aimed towards Bale is headed behind by Tito for a corner.
3'
The ball is chested into the path of Bale but Mariano, the man who assisted him, is offside and the flag goes up before Bale can think about shooting.
2'
Madrid have lacked any real intensity in recent matches, with little left to play for on the face of it, but for many players they are now very much playing for their futures. Carvajal is given a cross-field pass to chase but is unable to keep it in play.
1'
KICK-OFF! The home side, fighting for their lives at the bottom of La Liga, get the contest up and running!
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the LaLiga meeting between Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid at the Estadio de Vallecas.
Madrid are stuttering over the finish line after drawing two of their last three matches, which leaves them nine points adrift of second-place Atletico Madrid with this game in hand to play. It is looking increasingly likely that the Spanish giants, now under the management of Zinedine Zidane once again, will finish third in successive campaigns. The difference this year, of course, being that they do not have a Champions League success to fall back on.
RAYO (4-2-3-1): Alberto Garcia (c); Tito, Abdoulaye Ba, Alejandro Galvez, Alex Moreno; Uche Agbo, Mario Suarez; Adrian Embarba, Jose Pozo, Bebe; Javi Guerra.
Rayo subs: Alvaro Garcia, Giannelli Imbula, Luis Advincula, Oscar Trejo, Alvaro Medran, Stole Dimitrievski, Emiliano Velazquez.
MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Daniel Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Jesus Vallejo, Marcelo (c); Luka Modric, Marcos Llorente, Toni Kroos; Gareth Bale, Mariano Diaz, Dani Ceballos.
Madrid subs: Nacho, Keylor Navas, Marco Asensio, Brahim Diaz, Lucas Vazquez, Isco, Casemiro.
The two teams are now out on the field at the Estadio de Vallecas and we are moments away from kick-off.
Zidane has experimented with different options during his seven weeks at the helm and that is expected to remain the case today for this short trip to neighbours Rayo. The hosts have also endured a disappointing campaign, heading into this match sitting bottom of the division on 28 points from 34 matches - seven wins, seven draws and 20 defeats. If Paco Jemez's side are to avoid the drop then they quite simply have to win today as they are nine points adrift of safety with 12 points up for grabs.
Vallecano's goal was hardly undeserved as they had three shots on target in the first half, including an effort from Pozo that Courtois did brilliantly to keep out with his outstretched leg. Zidane will surely not be pleased with what he has witnessed so far, but will this latest below-par showing in the first half of a match be enough to tempt him to turn to his bench?
Thanks for joining our coverage today. Until next time, goodbye!
Madrid still have three more games to play before they can fully focus on their close-season rebuild, starting with a home match against Villarreal next Sunday. As for Vallecano, they travel to Levante in six days' time requiring another win if they are to pull off the great escape.
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