A tightly congested bottom half of the LaLiga table meant both sides were in the unusual position of having lingering relegation fears, alongside aspirations of sneaking into the European qualification places.
Rayo began brightly and spurned an early opportunity to strike first from the penalty spot, after Renzo Saravia was penalised for bringing down Pacha in the box. Randy Nteka stepped up from 12 yards, only to see his effort cannon off the post.
With their blushes spared by the woodwork, Los Che pressed forward and came agonisingly close to striking first themselves when Javi Guerra dragged his shot inches wide of the post.
That proved to be a costly miss, as the visitors broke the deadlock from a set-piece in the 20th minute. Florian Lejeune peeled away from his marker and headed home from Gerard Gumbau’s corner for the UEFA Conference League finalists - the Frenchman’s second goal in four league appearances.
Nteka could have doubled their advantage after latching onto Gumbau’s through ball, but Stole Dimitrievski was out quickly to deny the Angolan.
That was a vital intervention, as Valencia restored parity before half-time through Diego Lopez’s tidy first-time finish from Hugo Duro’s cutback from the byline.
A low-key start to the second half ensued, as both Carlos Corberan and Inigo Perez saw their respective injury lists lengthen following the enforced withdrawals of Jose Gaya and Gumbau. With Los Che already losing Renzo Saravia in the first half, it had been a particularly bruising evening for the hosts.
That seemed to affect the flow of proceedings on the pitch too, with both sides struggling to recapture their first-half rhythm. There were misplaced passes aplenty, as the Mestalla crowd became increasingly restless.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between, but Cesar Tarrega would have been disappointed to see his downward header go wide in stoppage time.
Neither side found an elusive second goal in a result which inches both sides closer to preserving their respective top-flight statuses for another season.
It may have been an underwhelming domestic campaign for Perez’s men, with the possibility of European glory overshadowing their exploits in LaLiga, but this result means a respectable top-half finish is still within sight for both them and Valencia.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Gerard Gumbau (Rayo Vallecano)
Click here for more on the match
