Eibar and Rayo, intertwined histories

With eight years now gone since that encounter, whenever promotion to another division is talked about, our memories never let us down.

Back then Rayo Vallecano had been in the Segunda División B for three seasons and looked as though, this time, during the 2005-2006 league campaign, they would get promoted following five ill-fated years during which the club suffered back-to-back relegations. The Madrid outfit could not have predicted that it would be SD Eibar who would be playing in the Liga Adelante the following year after the Basques beat them in the promotion playoff. This fixture will take place again almost a decade later in strikingly similar circumstances when the teams meet this Friday in Ipurua in the Liga BBVA.

That season went almost perfectly for the Vallecas side. A well deserved second place finish, with 67 points, 18 wins and 13 draws was proof of their good work. The promotion format during that campaign required teams to play two knock-out ties against the teams that had qualified from the other groups, which on this occasion meant the Madrid outfit were obliged to first beat Racing Club Portuense, who finished third in Group IV. A 0-2 victory in the first leg followed by a 2-2 draw in the second ensured that Rayo were able to get through to the next stage, where they were pitted against an on fire Eibar side.

Indeed, during that league campaign, the Basque outfit confirmed their great form by finishing first in Group II in the Segunda División B. In the second knock-out round, having already seen off the challenge of CE L’Hospitalet in the first, Eibar clinched promotion to the Liga Adelante by beating Rayo 2-0, despite first losing 1-0 in Vallecas.

The Madrid side took the advantage in the first leg thanks to a solitary goal from Francisco Medina 'Piti' in the 36th minute. However, although having a squad worthy of the Liga Adelante and possessing players that are now synonymous with topflight Spanish football like Piti, Jorge Andújar 'Coke', Antonio Amaya, Diego Mainz and manager Pepe Mel, the team from the capital were beaten by Eibar in the Municipal de Ipurua. The home side overcame the visitors thanks to goals from Ander Alaña, with a direct free kick in the 25', and Eneko Romo, with a great header three minutes later, to earn promotion. The year before that, Eibar were relegated from the Liga Adelante, a division they had been competing in for the previous 18 seasons.

Eibar and Rayo Vallecano, the first time both sides meet in Ipurua in the Liga BBVA.

Now, Paco Jémez’s team make their return to Guipúzcoa eight years on from their last visit, with plenty of games under their belts and with both clubs now competing in the Liga BBVA for the first ever season.

Much has changed since that last encounter. Rayo Vallecano have spent three consecutive years in the Liga BBVA and have managed to finish in respectable positions, even coming close to securing a UEFA Europa League place despite the club’s meagre budget. Meanwhile, Eibar’s fans are currently enjoying their first ever season in the top division of Spanish football after having gained back-to-back promotions from the Segunda B.

The two sides have met for a total of nine previous encounters, none of which ended in a draw. They crossed paths during the first half of the current Liga BBVA season in a clash that Eibar won 2-3 in Rayo Vallecano’s ground. The clubs have faced off four times in the Liga Adelante. They have played four matches against each other in the Municipal de Ipurua, where each team have come away with two victories.