Osasuna continues home streak vs. Rayo

Osasuna extended their unbeaten run at home this season to six games but were made to battle hard for a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano.

The visitors controlled the opening period and should have gone in front when Piti met Jose Movilla's cross but headed just wide.

The second half was short on clear-cut chances but Lass Bangoura continued to cause the Osasuna defence problems and he was unfortunate to see a fine effort on the counter-attack strike the post.

The draw sees both sides maintain their place in the top half of the table, with Rayo one place and point above Osasuna in eighth.

The two sides came into the match in very different moods. Osasuna had been on the wrong end of a 7-1 thrashing at Real Madrid before the international break, whilst Rayo had beaten Real Sociedad 4-0 in their last outing.

And it was the visitors who dominated proceedings in the first half, without creating too many clear chances.

Lass nearly set Movilla free in the area inside two minutes, but the midfielder could not take the ball in his stride.

Nino then had Osasuna's first effort from distance that was easily handled by David Cobeno, before Piti had by far the clearest sight of goal of the opening period.

Movilla did brilliantly to pick out the winger in the box, but he failed to hit the target with Andres Fernandez stranded in the Osasuna goal.

The second half followed largely the same pattern with Rayo playing more patiently than the hosts, who consistently targeted Ibrahima Balde with long balls.

However, the Osasuna defence struggled to cope with the pace of Lass and Miguel Flano was lucky to be shown just a yellow card when he pulled down the Guinean striker just outside the area.

Referee Iglesias Villanueva decided there was a covering defender and Flano had not denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Lass then came closest to winning the game as Rayo broke well and, with only Fernandez to beat, his right-footed shot came back off the post.

The introduction of Roland Lamah gave the home side a little more guile up front, but his tame effort was easily pouched by Cobeno with 10 minutes remaining and both sides seemed content to settle for the point.