Despite a subdued performance, Athletic Club extended their unbeaten run against Rayo Vallecano to nine matches with a 1-1 draw at the Estadio de Vallecas in LaLiga.

Rayo started brightly, nearly opening the scoring inside three minutes when Pacha Espino’s deflected effort appeared destined for the net, only for Unai Simón to tip the ball behind for a corner. Florian Lejeune and Alvaro Garcia also tested Simon with headers in the opening half-hour, keeping the Athletic goalkeeper busy.

Despite arriving on the back of three consecutive league wins, Athletic struggled to assert themselves and fell behind ten minutes before halftime. After a VAR review, Garcia’s pass found Jorge de Frutos, who fired home at the far post to give Rayo the lead.

However, Athletic responded quickly after the break. A long ball into the box was headed on by Alex Berenguer to Iñaki Williams, who controlled it and unleashed a precise volley to level the score early in the second half.

Chances remained limited for the remainder of the match, with Rayo unable to recreate their first-half threat and Athletic failing to mount sustained pressure for a winner.

The draw denied Rayo consecutive home league victories for the first time since February 2025, though they have now lost only once in their last 12 competitive home matches. The result lifts them to 14th place, three points clear of the relegation zone.

Athletic, meanwhile, remain eighth, missing the opportunity to close the gap on the teams above them in the battle for European qualification.