In a dramatic 104-minute contest, Rayo Vallecano halted Betis's three-game winning streak that was crucial for their Champions League ambitions. The match was dominated by two contentious VAR incidents that caused significant delays.
The first controversy came in the 48th minute when a challenge by Mendy on Cucho appeared to occur inside the Rayo area, but referee Martínez Munuera ruled it outside after VAR review. More contentious was the 86th-minute incident where Valentín cleared the ball before injuring Ratiu's ankle, which appeared to be on the goal line. After an agonizing four-minute VAR review, the decision to keep the call as outside the area and not send off Valentín was upheld.