Nigerian forward Sadiq Umar came off the bench to rescue a point for Valencia as they played out a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in Saturday’s La Liga clash at the Estadio de Vallecas.
Valencia found themselves trailing at the break after Cesar Tarrega’s unfortunate own goal just before half-time had given the hosts a slender advantage.
Looking to inject more attacking threat into his side, Valencia manager Carlos Corberán introduced Umar in the 66th minute, replacing Andre Almeida. The tactical change paid immediate dividends for Los Che.
The 28-year-old striker made his presence felt, netting a clinical finish 16 minutes from time to level the score. The goal marked Umar’s fifth in just 12 La Liga appearances for Valencia this season, reinforcing his reputation as an efficient finisher despite limited playing time.
With the hard-fought draw, Corberán’s men extended their impressive unbeaten run to seven consecutive league games, matching their longest such streak since December 2021.
Valencia entered the fixture in excellent form, having won their last three La Liga matches against Mallorca, Real Madrid and Sevilla. The result keeps Los Che in 13th position on 38 points, now just two points behind their 10th-placed opponents.
For Rayo Vallecano, the draw represents another missed opportunity to secure maximum points at home. Inigo Perez’s side has not tasted victory in front of their home supporters since early February, continuing a disappointing run that has seen them win just once in their last eight league outings.
The result will particularly please Valencia given their poor away record this season, having managed just one victory in their previous 15 league games on their travels.
With seven matches remaining in the campaign, Valencia’s relegation fears have been significantly eased as they now sit eight points clear of the drop zone. Should their strong form continue, Los Che could potentially climb into the top half of the table—a remarkable achievement considering they were flirting with relegation earlier in the season.
