Star striker Radamel Falcao will be absent for Rayo Vallecano‘s semi-final second leg clash with Real Betis.
Manager Andoni Iraola confirmed he would be unavailable for the decisive match, confirming that he has a small muscle injury in his pre-match press conference.
Spanish newspaper Diario AS published some of his responses ahead of the tie, where Iraola made it clear that Rayo Vallecano would be going on the offensive.
“We have to go out to win. Doing anything else won’t cut it. They will be counting on that advantage, as they did against Zenit. I don’t think either of us will change how we play due to the one goal difference [on aggregate].”
Rayo Vallecano have drawn widespread plaudits for their excellent season after winning promotion last season. Their strong home form had propelled them into the European qualification spots for much of the season.
However since the turn of the year Rayo’s form has sunk dramatically, leaving them without a league win in 2022. Their only victory this year came against Real Mallorca in the Copa del Rey quarter-final. This hasn’t dampened Iraola’s hopes of overturning a 2-1 deficit in the second leg however.
“It’s incredibly exciting. Despite knowing how difficult it will be, to be able to become the first group in the history of the club to play a Copa del Rey final is a unique opportunity. We have to push ourselves to the limit and when the referee blows the whistle, we can’t allow ourselves to have any regrets.”
Image via Angel Martinez/Getty Images.
