Rayo Vallecano vs RC Strasbourg

Rayo Vallecano held their nerve at a buzzing Estadio de Vallecas to beat RC Strasbourg 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final, with a well-taken second-half header from Alemão making all the difference. The breakthrough came on 54 minutes when Isi Palazón's corner was met by Alemão at the near post, the Brazilian nodding home to the top right corner. The match grew increasingly feisty, with eight yellow cards distributed across a foul-tempered evening — among them Ilias Akhomach and Ben Chilwell clashing in the 74th minute. Strasbourg felt aggrieved when VAR reviewed a high boot from Florian Lejeune on Andrew Omobamidele, but no penalty was given. The result leaves Strasbourg with a one-goal deficit to overturn in the second leg on May 7. Rayo, under coach Iñigo Pérez, hold a precious advantage as they push for what would be a historic first major European final.