Rayo started fast and were in front inside four minutes. Álvaro García pounced and scored with a high-quality chance measured at 0.998 xG, the only shot on target of the half for the visitors. Sevilla had more of the ball before the interval at 55 percent, yet created little, recording just 0.23 xG from four attempts. The hosts pushed higher and logged 40 final-third entries to Rayo’s 31, but their delivery was off, with only 1 of 13 first-half crosses finding a teammate. A brief flashpoint came at 38 minutes when VAR checked a potential Sevilla penalty, which did not stand. The half closed with Rayo’s two big chances and a 1-0 lead reflecting the better early shot quality rather than overall control.

Defensively, Sevilla were busy but tidy, winning 69 percent of their 13 first-half tackles and blocking one shot. Rayo, for their part, were compact and efficient, clearing 23 balls before the break and intercepting seven passes to short-circuit Sevilla’s build-up. Duels leaned Sevilla’s way at 55 percent won, a hint that the hosts were physically engaged even as the scoreboard trailed. It set the stage for a second half that flipped both momentum and expected goals.

Second half swing and two cool penalties

After the restart Sevilla transformed their attacking output. They produced 2.07 xG with nine shots, including four on target, and doubled Rayo’s touches in the box by full time, 28 to 14. The equalizer came on 52 minutes when Jon Guridi converted from the spot. He finished with two shots on target and a personal xG of 0.853, a tidy return before an injury forced him off on 82 minutes. Rayo tried to wrestle back control and actually saw more of the ball in the half at 57 percent, but their chances shrank to 0.36 xG and only two shots on target across the final 45.

Drama did not end there. Sevilla went down to ten men on 88 minutes when Kike Salas saw red. Even so, the hosts kept probing and were rewarded deep into stoppage time. Peque Fernández stepped up in the 90+7 minute and buried the winner from the spot with a penalty xG of 0.788 and xGOT of 0.930. The late goal reflected Sevilla’s sustained penalty-area presence, with their 31 second-half final-third entries edging Rayo’s 28. In a game decided by moments, Sevilla made theirs count from twelve yards.

What the numbers say

Across 90 minutes, Sevilla outshot Rayo 13 to 6 and edged expected goals 2.30 to 2.00. The key split came in shot locations, with the hosts taking nine efforts inside the box to Rayo’s five. Sevilla also posted more final-third entries, 71 to 59, and were more aggressive in open play, winning the aerial battle marginally and finishing even in overall duels at 50 percent each. Rayo defended deep for long spells and cleared 32 balls to Sevilla’s 22, but that volume came with pressure attached and two penalties conceded. Crossing quality tells the story too. Sevilla went 3 of 25 for a 12 percent accuracy, while Rayo were 5 of 15 at 33 percent. Despite the cleaner delivery from the visitors, Sevilla’s territorial advantage and penalty-box volume proved more decisive.

Big chances were a swing category. Rayo created three but scored only one and missed two, including a notable miss on a 0.649 xG look. Sevilla created two big chances and converted both, which ultimately defined the scoreline. On the defensive side, Rayo won 72 percent of their tackles to Sevilla’s 60 percent, yet the hosts still made more total tackles at 20 to 18 and forced mistakes, highlighted by one Rayo error that led to a shot. Goalkeeping metrics added another layer. Sevilla’s keeper logged 0.77 goals prevented to Rayo’s minus 0.21, a small but telling edge in a tight game. The average Sofascore team numbers also tracked the balance, with Sevilla at 7.25 and Rayo at 6.57.

MVP: Odysseas Vlachodimos delivers under pressure

Odysseas Vlachodimos earned the match MVP with a Sofascore Rating of 7.3, a nod to calm, efficient goalkeeping on a night when every action mattered. He conceded early yet settled immediately, finishing with 0.7705 goals prevented to tilt the margins Sevilla’s way. His shot-stopping line reads two saves with one from inside the box, but the added-value actions stood out. He completed 2 of 2 sweeper-keeper interventions, made 11 ball recoveries and handled 38 touches without fuss, which helped Sevilla reset after transitions.

Distribution also mattered to Sevilla’s build. Vlachodimos completed 17 of 29 passes and hit 6 accurate long balls from 18 attempts to relieve pressure and find advancing teammates. It is a steady, high-floor profile that pairs clean hands with reliable feet, which is exactly what Sevilla needed after Rayo’s fourth-minute goal. In a match where big moments came from the penalty spot, the goalkeeper’s consistency in the quieter minutes protected the platform for the comeback. Other top performers deserve a quick mention. Miguel Ángel Sierra Ortega posted a 7.1 Sofascore Rating with positive carrying and a key pass, Juan Iglesias delivered a 7.0 with two key passes from right back and Rayo’s Unai López matched 7.0 with a strong defensive shift. Peque Fernández, the late penalty hero, checked in at 6.8 yet provided the decisive kick. The headline, though, belongs to Vlachodimos and his MVP night.

A hard-earned three points to start

Sevilla turned a shaky start into a clear second-half plan, attacking the box more often and converting the high-leverage chances. Rayo were spirited, edged possession overall at 51 percent and created three big chances, but wastefulness and two penalties conceded proved costly. The red card to Kike Salas at 88 minutes injected late jeopardy, yet Sevilla managed the moments and found the winner at 90+7. Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea kept a busy book with four yellows for each side and the late red, but the match flowed enough for the numbers to tell a fair story.

For fans tracking performance, Sofascore’s live metrics painted the same picture in real time. Sevilla’s average Sofascore Rating of 7.25 against Rayo’s 6.57 mirrored the swing in xG and shot volume after the break. Opening day is often messy. Sevilla made it productive.