SAMSUN, TÜRKIYE — Brazilian midfielder Alemão delivered a match-defining performance, scoring twice to power Rayo Vallecano to a commanding 3-1 victory over Samsunspor in the UEFA Conference League at Samsun 19 Mayis Stadium, in front of 18,095 supporters. The Spanish visitors arrived in Türkiye in fine form — having beaten Atlético Madrid 3-0 in their most recent away fixture — and they showed exactly why, producing a display of sharp transitions and clinical finishing that the home side simply could not contain. Samsunspor fought back to level briefly, but Rayo's quality ultimately shone through across a fiercely contested evening on the Black Sea coast.
Rayo Vallecano wasted little time making their intentions clear. In the 15th minute, Isi Palazón threaded a precise delivery into the centre of the box, and Alemão was there to meet it, drilling a composed right-footed shot to the centre of the goal and giving Samsunspor goalkeeper no time to react. The home crowd had barely processed the setback when Samsunspor hit back with real conviction. Six minutes later, Carlo Holse — despite picking up a yellow card just moments after the opener — turned provider from a set piece, whipping in a delivery that Marius Mouandilmadji met cleanly, his left-footed strike arrowing into the top left corner to restore parity and ignite the stadium.
The equaliser, however, only seemed to sharpen Rayo's focus. As the first half entered its final stages, Palazón again proved the difference-maker. Picking up the ball on the counter, he released Álvaro García in behind the Samsunspor defence. García, operating from a difficult angle on the left, showed tremendous composure to curl a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner in the 40th minute, restoring the visitors' lead just before the interval. It was a goal that carried the hallmarks of a side brimming with confidence — fast, incisive, and ruthlessly taken.
Samsunspor emerged for the second half with renewed urgency, and Augusto Batalla was called upon to keep Rayo's advantage intact. The Rayo goalkeeper produced a fine stop to deny Mouandilmadji's header from the centre of the box, clawing the effort away from the top centre of the goal. Holse then tested Batalla twice with headers from crosses delivered by Joe Mendes and Logi Tómasson respectively, only to be denied both times by the goalkeeper's sharp reactions. Antoine Makoumbou also forced Batalla into a save with a right-footed effort from the centre of the box, but the Argentine stopper stood firm. Samsunspor's inability to convert those second-half opportunities proved costly.
The teams shared possession almost equally across the contest — a 50%-50% split that underlined just how competitive the midfield battle was — yet Rayo's superior efficiency in front of goal told the real story. Batalla's four saves to Samsunspor's two reflected a visitors' side that defended with discipline while remaining dangerous on the break. Samsunspor's five yellow cards — shown to Holse, Celil Yüksel, Olivier Ntcham, Joe Mendes, and later Ilias Akhomach on the Rayo side — pointed to the mounting frustration and the physical edge the match carried throughout.
The turning point arrived in the 78th minute, and it was Alemão again who delivered the decisive blow. Introduced substitute Óscar Valentín, who had replaced the influential Palazón just two minutes earlier, immediately made his mark with a sharp assist, finding Alemão on the edge of the box. The Brazilian did the rest, rifling a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner to make it 3-1 and extinguish any lingering hope Samsunspor harboured of a comeback. The goal sealed a performance of real quality from the Madrid side, who had now scored six goals across their last two away fixtures.
The scoreboard resets; the table does not. Samsunspor must regroup quickly as they host Kayserispor on March 15, while Rayo Vallecano return to Spain to face Levante on the same date, carrying the momentum of a convincing European away victory.