Rayo botches trick penalty in draw; Atletico sink Valencia

Rayo has only converted 3 of 7 penalties this season

BARCELONA: Where football greats Lionel Messi and Johan Cruyff had succeeded, the talented but mortal midfielders of Rayo Vallecano came up short.

The modest Madrid-based club was held to a 2-2 draw at home by Girona in the Spanish league after failing with back-to-back penalties including a botched trick penalty kick in a sequence that will go down as one of the oddest in recent memory for Spanish soccer.

Isi Palazon and scar Trejo had already scored to put their team ahead 2-1 when Rayo had a penalty call in its favor just before halftime.

Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga saved Trejo’s spot kick, but he got another chance after the referee ordered the penalty to be retaken because a Girona player had illegally encroached the area.

On the second try, Trejo, instead of shooting directly at the goal, rolled the ball to the side for Isi, who had rushed into the box only for Isi to fire it over the crossbar.

Perhaps they had been inspired by Messi and Luis Su rez, who had pulled off such a nifty trick penalty in a 6-1 win over Celta Vigo in 2016.