Sevilla snatch 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano with 97th-minute penalty after three penalties and a red card
Sevilla rescued a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga's opening round on August 15, 2026, with Gerard Fernández converting a controversial 97th-minute penalty after Kike Salas had been sent off and the referee had awarded three penalties to the home side.
A chaotic opener in Nervión
Sevilla opened their 2026-27 LaLiga campaign with a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The win, secured by a Gerard Fernández penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time, was Sevilla's first on opening day in five seasons. It came despite a red card for centre-back Kike Salas in the 88th minute and a first half in which the home side looked short of quality and cohesion.
Rayo struck first after just four minutes. New Sevilla signing Arouna Sangante, making his debut in central defence, lost the ball near his own area, allowing Álvaro García to slot past goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos. The early goal silenced a crowd already restless with the club's direction, and the Sánchez-Pizjuán responded with whistles and chants against the board.
VAR dominates the narrative
The match was defined by the intervention of the video assistant referee. Around the half-hour mark, Isi Palazón thought he had scored Rayo's second, but the goal was annulled for a foul by the midfielder on Juan Iglesias. Minutes later, referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea pointed to the spot for Sevilla after a foul by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla in the 38th minute, but the VAR overturned the penalty decision.
In the second half, Sevilla equalised through a Jon Guridi penalty in the 52nd minute after a foul by Álvaro García on Miguel Sierra. The controversy deepened when Kike Salas received a red card in the 88th minute, leaving Sevilla a man down. Yet in the 97th minute, after a loss of possession by Rayo substitute Pedro Díaz, debutant Robbie Ure manufactured a penalty against a clumsy Florian Lejeune challenge, and Peque Fernández converted to rescue all three points.
- Álvaro García scores for Rayo after Sangante error (0-1)
- Isi Palazón goal annulled for foul on Juan Iglesias
- Penalty to Sevilla annulled by VAR after Batalla foul
- Jon Guridi converts penalty for Sevilla (1-1)
- Kike Salas shown red card for Sevilla
- Peque Fernández converts controversial penalty for Sevilla (2-1)
Rayo's frustration boils over
Rayo captain Álvaro García, who had opened the scoring, was blunt in his post-match assessment on the pitch.
Tres penaltis. El partido ha sido igualado, pero con demasiado protagonismo para el que no tiene que ser protagonista.
The defeat compounds a difficult period for Rayo, who began the season under new head coach Beñat San José following the departure of Íñigo Pérez. The Madrid club also faces a logistical problem: their first home match, scheduled for Thursday, cannot be played at Vallecas after the Comunidad de Madrid suspended the stadium's licence over serious safety deficiencies. Leganés will instead lend their Estadio Municipal de Butarque as a temporary venue.
Sevilla's youth gamble
Sevilla manager Luis García Plaza fielded a side heavy on academy products, with Nico Guillén and Miguel Sierra among the youngsters starting. The squad has lost key players such as Akor Adams, Sow, and Gudelj, and no guaranteed signings have arrived. Up to five canteranos featured against Rayo, and the club's sporting director, José Ignacio Navarro, is still expected to bring in reinforcements, including a third striker. Sevilla sit second in the table after Matchday 1, level on points with leaders Deportivo Alavés but having played one game more.
