MADRID (AP) — Rayo Vallecano rallied late to draw 3-3 with Real Sociedad on Sunday in a Spanish league match marked by a sudden turn of events after VAR erased a Rayo goal and awarded a penalty kick to Sociedad instead.
Rayo thought it had equalized 2-2 through Pedro Díaz in the 69th minute at Vallecas Stadium, but the goal was called back after the referee went to video review and awarded a penalty kick to Sociedad earlier in the buildup.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted the 76th-minute penalty to make it 3-1 to the visitors.
“If you decide not to call a penalty, the VAR calls you and your decision is delayed minute by minute, you are essentially telling the public that you don’t think it’s a penalty because you are not convinced,” Rayo coach Iñigo Pérez said. He added that “if you have doubts over 10 minutes, it’s because it isn’t (a penalty). I think he still doesn’t know if it was a penalty.”
Rayo found a way to even the match with goals from Florian Lejeune in the 84th and Alemão in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Sociedad, winless in three league games, stayed in eighth place while Rayo moved to 11th.
Relegation fight
In the fight against relegation, Sevilla’s struggles continued as it conceded two late goals in a 2-1 loss at Osasuna.
Neal Maupay put the visitors ahead in the 69th but ninth-placed Osasuna rallied with goals from Raúl García in the 80th and Alejandro Catena deep into stoppage time.
It was the fifth loss in six matches for Sevilla.
“We had the chance of winning at a tough place,” Sevilla coach Luis García Plaza said. “The team played well but again it was for nothing.”
The coach loudly complained about the nine minutes of stoppage time.
Osasuna had won only one of its last seven matches.
Earlier, Elche moved further away from the drop zone with a 2-1 win at last-placed Oviedo.
It was the fourth win in five matches for Elche, which reached 38 points, four more than 18th-placed Sevilla. Sevilla was one point behind Mallorca, the first team outside the drop zone.
Oviedo stayed seven points from safety.
Barcelona increased its league lead to 11 points by winning 2-0 at Getafe on Saturday. Second-place Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Real Betis on Friday.
Third-place Villarreal had a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo, giving American defender Alex Freeman, son of former Super Bowl winner Antonio Freeman, a victory in his first La Liga start.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
