Which La Liga newcomer matched Vinicius Junior’s performance for Rayo Vallecano?
Vinicius Junior posed a threat during the match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, although it appeared that he was fairly well contained overall. This is particularly impressive considering that it was Andrei Ratiu’s debut for Rayo and his first appearance in La Liga.
Ratiu, a 25-year-old Romanian with 12 international caps, had never previously played in Spain’s top division. Having moved to Teruel in Aragon at a young age, he eventually came up through Villarreal’s academy system but struggled to establish himself there. Following a loan spell at ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands, he returned to Aragon and joined Huesca on a free transfer two seasons ago.
This summer, Rayo Vallecano signed Ratiu for €500k, primarily due to his reputation as the fastest player in Segunda, as reported by Marca. Despite starting the season as a backup to Ivan Balliu, Ratiu was thrust into action at the Santiago Bernabeu due to an injury.
Ratiu showcased his speed on the field, outpacing Vinicius in a footrace to retrieve the ball in defense and leaving Jude Bellingham behind as well. While his performance was not flawless, he made four tackles and two clearances, effectively denying Vinicius any clear chances throughout the game and frustrating the Brazilian. Vinicius only managed two off-target shots during the entire match.
In his debut directly opposite Vinicius, Ratiu demonstrated that he is not intimidated by high-stakes situations. Francisco, Rayo’s coach, must be pleased with how well Ratiu handled the challenge.
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Andrei Ratiu’s debut for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga was impressive, especially considering he had never played in the top flight in Spain before.
Despite the dangerous Vinicius Junior creating some threats, Ratiu dealt with him relatively well, making several tackles and clearances and preventing any clear chances. Ratiu’s pace was also evident, outpacing Vinicius in a footrace and leaving Jude Bellingham stunned. Overall, Ratiu showed great composure and fearlessness in facing such a challenging opponent, and his performance should be commended.
