Mallorca had only dropped out of a nail-biting race for the final European places in recent weeks thanks to back-to-back defeats, and the Pirates made it clear early on that they wouldn’t make this an easy night for the Red Sashes.
Nerves were evident from Rayo’s timid start to proceedings, as they took until beyond the 20-minute mark to finally start threatening a goal. Florian Lejuene fell short in his effort to score in a third successive home game with a wayward header before Isi Palazon dragged a shot wide from the edge of the area.
Alvaro Garcia was the first man to register a shot on target just beyond the half-hour, but his effort was beaten away by Dominik Greif, who watched another long-range García shot sail over the bar before the break.
At the other end, Mallorca desperately lacked much of a threat, with talisman Vedat Muriqi – who had scored in all six of his prior LaLiga matches against Rayo – finding himself starved of service.
Indeed, their lack of potency almost came back to bite them on the stroke of half-time, when Unai Lopez danced his way through the Pirates’ defence, only for his shot to be parried to safety by Greif.
A dismal start to the second period almost cost Rayo dearly, as Mallorca striker Muriqi failed to connect with a free header before curling wide of the target from the right.
Inigo Perez responded with a substitution and it clearly sparked life into the hosts, who forced Greif into a brilliant double save to deny Garcia and Palazon.
Anxiety around Vallecas soon dissipated with the news that Alaves had taken the lead against Osasuna, but there was still no relief for the misfiring Rayo attackers, as Jorge de Frutos – a scorer in each of his previous two games – blazed over the bar from a promising position.
Muriqi’s withdrawal through a shoulder injury that had plagued him all night signalled the end of Mallorca’s threat, but Rayo remained unable to put the game to bed. Lejeune saw his header clawed away from the top corner by Greif before the Pirates’ goalkeeper showed brilliant reactions to deny De Frutos from point-blank range.
Ultimately, the hosts’ wastefulness would not stand between them and European qualification – even with a late leveller for Osasuna elsewhere – as they end the season with an impressive five-match unbeaten run. Mallorca have won just once in that time, but Greif’s heroics at least extended their unbeaten run against Rayo to seven La Liga meetings.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dominik Greif (Mallorca)