Highlights: Brighton - Rayo Vallecano | Friendly Match 2023

With the eagerly anticipated new season under a week away, the Albion put the finishing touches on their pre-season preparations by welcoming La Liga side Rayo Vallecano to the Amex. Oh, Vallecano might be in here. Good stop from Steele, down low. Both sides trying to find their rhythm and it's gifted to Pedro. Albi may have a chance here as Pedro into the air. He was looking No, he won't. He's made a right mess of it. Pedro across to Welbeck. Welbeck's there and it cannons off the post. So unfortunate. Pedro looked up, clipped it to Welbeck and off the post as he looked to smuggling in at the near post. Here's Palazón. Ball over the top that. Steele has come out and Steele's made a mess of this one and there's a big chance for an opening goal which has been taken. Error from Steele and an easy chance gobbled up by the visitors. They'll be delighted with that and it's Álvaro García yet again for Vallecano. That's his sixth of pre-season. Dunk lifts it over the top. What a ball that is. Inch perfect for Matoma who's in and he can't find the lift over Dimitrovski. Another chance goes begging. Absolutely beautiful ball from Dunk. Perfectly weighted. Matoma scored a goal like that against Brentford last season but couldn't find the lob this time. A little short for March but March is quick enough. Now through it goes. Pedro's in. Pedro and saved by Dimitrovski. He went for the the dink over Dimitrovski and he couldn't find the finish. Grosz fizzes it straight into the wall. Drops for Grosz again and on the rise. He can't steer it beyond Dimitrovski. The wall doing its job and then Grosz. It was a difficult technique to try and score from there. Dimitrovski forward. It'll drop to Enteka and given away. Now there's space for Matoma to drive into just as he likes it. Matoma pass one. Lines it up as he passed two. He plants it for the corner and Dimitrovski plunging to his left flicks it away. Excellent work from Matoma. Gifted to him but then he made the most of it. Pass one. Drop of the shoulder to get past two and a measured finish. Dimitrovski equal to it. Nice shape on that pass but easily intercepted by Estepinan. Dahou lets it run across his body. Grosz clips it. It'll run for Estepinan. Tries to pick out his man. It'll drop for Dunk and Dunk's gonna hit one and it bobbled awkwardly in front of Dimitrovski but he got all of his body behind it and it's a good save. Grosz with a little turn and then the clip looking over the defense and it'll drop for Pedro and Pedro with deflection. It takes it over the bar. He's getting closer. João Pedro It's the ball over the top that stretched the Viacarno defense. March involved as well. Pedro going for goal and the deflection taking it over. Viacarno pressing for the first time this afternoon in the second half. Pedro. First clear down the left hand side. Pedro to the area. Rolls it across. What a pass. March was peeling in off the right hand side but couldn't control it. Couldn't get a shot off and another chance. Great ball out to Pedro. Move forward quickly towards the penalty area. His pass looked precise enough but couldn't control. There's a handball here. Unai Lopez. Grosz wants to take it quickly. He does roll it for Welbeck who turns and gets the shot away and off the crossbar. How unlucky for Dani Welbeck. Expertly done. Beautifully rolled into Welbeck. The turn was excellent. The strike also good. Cannoned off the bar. Now Dahou. Estepinhan. He's got Matoma wide left. Here is Matoma. Matoma looking to get to the byline. Dancing his way to the byline. He can't get the ball off him. Comes back for Estepinhan. He's working his way forward and Estepinhan's gone down and a penalty is the end result. Hayekano looked devastated but Estepinhan has won Brighton a spot kick. Combination with Matoma again. Estepinhan collecting and he's just tripped as he went to the byline. Pedro against Dimitrescu. Pedro strokes it home. Albion a level. Calmly done from the new siding and the Amex likes that. It likes that very much. A deserved equalizer. Made it look easy and that will be that. A very useful workout for both sides. A friendly that definitely had a competitive edge. Ends all square after João Pedro's second half. Penalty cancelled out by Hayekano's first half opener. It ends at the Amex ahead of the new season. Albion won.